Wake Me Up When September Ends
by UsagiRyu
Summary: After 16 years Keith finally faces the traumas of his childhood...What would be the outcome and how will this effect the Captain in Red?
1. Chapter 1

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: MA **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

Captain Keith Akira Kogane slipped a small CD into his player and turned up the volume. A rich voice echoed through out the room. "I am the son of love and rage. The Jesus of Suburbia. From the Bible of 'None of the Above'." Keith sang along with the music, tapping his foot. He did not hear his door slide open or the soft foot steps of Princess Allura, the ruler of Planet Arus.

"Keith?" Allura asked, raising her voice to be heard over the music.

Keith turned off the disc. "Princess, I, uh, didn't hear you come in," He blushed.

"What were you listening to?" Allura picked up the jewel case laying by the CD player. "Green Day. I never heard of them. Are they an Earth band?"

"Yeah, from like 200 years ago. I found the disc at a vintage music store in Washington, D.C. Maybe four days before coming to Arus," Keith said. "Please, sit down," He got up, sat on his bed and waved towards the now empty chair.

Allura sat down. "Thank you. I didn't know you liked punk and heavy metal," She commented while look through the discs. Some were Galactically known bands like The Broken Blades and The TASER Tigers. But antique bands from the 20th Earth Century, such as Sex Pistols, Def Leopard, Metallica and Guns N Roses, also populated Keith's music list.

"Well, the Galaxy Alliance tends to frown on things like heavy metal, tattoos and body piercings. They want their Space Explorers to be squeaky clean. You know, make good impressions on other planets," Keith rubbed the back of his neck. "But for me, it's a great way to release stress. I wish there was a club near here. There was one near the Academy called the Ninth Circle. It was great. I went there every weekend."

"The Ninth Circle? Like in Dante?" Allura laughed.

"Yep. The owner was named Joe Dante. It had some great local bands. I think my favorite was Heretics," Keith sighed.

"You know, there's a club near here called Fallen Angel. The band, The Crooked Daggers, plays there every Friday and Saturday," Allura said. "And today's Friday," She smiled.

"Are you asking me out?" Keith asked.

"Only if you want me to," Allura said coyly.

"Give me time to get dressed," Keith stood up and went to his closet. He threw a pair of tight black jeans on the bed and found a black tee-shirt with a glowing tiger carrying an electric rifle. He dug through his closet. "Now where did I put my combat boots. I hope Lance didn't borrow them."

"I'll ask him while I go to my room. Last I saw, he was in the recreation room," Allura said. "I'll see you in an hour."

"I'm looking forward to it," Keith smiled. As soon as Allura left the room, Keith undressed and pulled on the tight black jeans. He slipped the tee-shirt over his head, not caring that it messed up his hair. He pulled a case, made of battered silver leather, out of his closet. Then, he went into the bathroom connected to his room. Keith opened the case and pulled out a half-full bottle of super hold hair gel. "I know I had a full bottle before I came to Arus," He grumbled. He squirted gel into his hands and started pulling his long black hair into spikes.

"Hey, Brother," Lance leaned against the door way of the bathroom. "Allura told me that you two were going to a club. Oh, want me to get the back of your hair?" Lance stepped inside the bathroom.

"Yeah. I can never do it myself. Thanks."

Lance put the gel into his hands. "You're running low," He commented.

"Tell me about. And I know I had a full bottle before we came to Arus. I stopped at the store to get it, just in case Arus didn't have a place that sold the hair gel. I guess some one used it before we got our stuff back from the crash," Keith referred to their space ship that crashed on Arus, before they were taken prisoner by King Zarkon.

"Maybe some one used it? Maybe a Doom solider."

"How, they're all bald," Keith laughed.

"Well, maybe they wanted it for Prince Lotor," Lance smirked.

Keith choked on laughter. "That's an image I don't need!" Keith leaned over the sink and applied black eyeliner around his large, black eyes. The eyeliner made his eyes look darker, almost like a midnight sky.

"Keith?" Allura walked into the bathroom. She had her long, blonde hair in a braid with the top of her hair spiked. She also wore black eye liner. She had on low-rise plaid pants and a black baby doll tee-shirt that showed off a nine-pointed star around her belly button and an angel on her lower back. Instead of boots, she wore plaid high-tops. "I'm out of black lip stick. Can we stop at the drug store on the way to the club?"

"Borrow mine," Keith took the lip stick out of his case and tossed it to her. "I didn't open it, yet."

Allura joined Keith at the mirror and glided the lipstick over her normally pink lips. She handed back the lipstick and Keith applied some to his lips. Lance stood back and laughed. "You two look like Sid and Nancy!" He howled. "Nice tats, Princess."

"Thank you. They were a sweet sixteen present from my father," Allura smiled. She pulled down her top slightly, showing off a portrait of her parents over her heart. "I had this done after Father died."

Keith rolled up his sleeve and showed off a heart with his parents' names in the center. "I had this done when I turned 18," He said.

"You two are perfect for each other," Lance snickered. "Tattoos and body piercings."

Keith rolled his eyes and put in his various piercings, including one in his nose and one in his left eye brow. "Lance, do you know where my boots are?"

"Try looking deeper in your closet. You put them there when that General was over here. You didn't want him finding them and giving you a hard time, remember?"

"Oh right, I'd forgotten."

Just then, Nanny came into the room. Lance shushed Keith and Allura then stepped out of the bathroom. "Hey, Nanny."

"Lance," Nanny turned her nose down at him. "I am looking for Keith."

"He went to a club to blow off some steam," Lance said truthfully.

"What are you doing in here?" Nanny asked suspiciously.

"Borrowing a book."

"But you came out of the bathroom!"

"Well, nature called while I was in here. Don't worry, Keith won't mind. We share things all the time," Lance smirked. "If I see Keith I'll let him know that you are looking for him."

"Thank you," Nanny turned on one heel and marched out of the room.

As soon as Nanny left, Keith and Allura tumbled out of the bathroom. "Thanks for the cover, Lance," Keith high-fived Lance.

"Any time," Lance smiled.

Keith dug through his closet. In the back, he found his combat boots. He sat on his bed and pulled them on. "Well, Princess, ready to go?"

"I'll cover for you," Lance promised.

"Thanks, Brother, we'll owe you."

"Big time," Lance smirked and grabbed a book. "Just in case I run into Nanny."

Together, Keith and Allura slipped out of Keith's room and ran down the corridor. The pair avoided the guards patrolling the hallways and entered the garage. Allura's pink car stood farthest from the door. Instead of using the pink car, the pair went to Keith's red four by four. Keith held the door open for Allura. "After you, Princess."

"Thank you," Allura sat down in the car.

Keith jumped across the hood and sat in the driver's seat. He pulled out a set of keys dangling from a twisted keychain. Allura looked at it. "Keith, what happened to your keychain?"

"It was my Dad's," Keith answered simply. Allura nodded and buckled her seat belt. "You'll have to tell me where this club is, Princess."

"It's on the outskirts of the kingdom," Allura said. "Just go south west on King Alfor Lane. You can't miss Fallen Angel. It tends to stick out."

"Okay, Princess," Keith pulled out of the underground garage. Two guards started to stop them, but backed off when Keith and Allura showed their Voltron Force badges: badges with the royal crest, a golden crown over a golden cross, surrounded by the five Lion colors, cradled in between a gold "V". The badges rested in slim leather wallets and had a photo identity card next to it. The guards waved them through the gates. "Gee, I guess the guards didn't recognize us," Keith laughed. Allura giggled.

(Outside the Fallen Angel Club)

Allura was right. The Fallen Angel, painted an eye-searing purple with a black angel statue on the top of the club, did stand out from one story, single family dwellings that surrounded it. A high, sound-catching fence protected the neighbors from the window-rattling music that echoed from the club. Keith pulled into the parking lot and parked as close to the entrance as he could, even turning the truck so that it faced out. Allura looked over at Keith. "Why did you park like that?"

"Just in case we have to leave quickly," Keith answered.

"Good idea," Allura agreed. "I'm looking forward to a time where we can go out and not have to worry about being interrupted by King Zarkon."

"Me too. I think the whole planet is," Keith sighed.

They got out of the car and strolled over to the line waiting to get in. The line moved quickly, especially with underage teens being kicked out of line. "IDs," The bouncer grunted. Keith and Allura held out their Voltron Force badges. "Oh…go right in! Forget about the cover charge!"

"Thank you!" Allura smirked.

The pair ran into the club. Keith paused to look it over. "It reminds me of the Ninth Circle only less smoky," Keith hollered over the din.

"Smoking is forbidden in all clubs and bars and restaurants. By the King's Order," Allura shouted proudly.

"That's great! Let's go into the Mosh Pit!" Keith put his mouth against Allura's ear so she could hear him. Allura nodded. Keith took her hand and guided her into the pit. In the middle of the jostling crowd, Keith and Allura stood, waiting for the next song. A punk with a blue, spiked Mohawk slammed into Keith. Keith slammed back. The Crooked Daggers, three women in their twenties, started up a hard guitar intro. The lead singer, a woman with dark pink hair, pulled the microphone close to her face.

"The battle lines are drawn," She sang.

"_You face down the enemy,"_ Sang the two other members.

"At the crack of dawn. You fight!"

The pit was soon filled with a writhing mass of people slamming into the each other. Allura hesitated at first, but soon she was crashing into people, including Keith, with the same enthusiasm as Keith. For Keith, each collision released the tension from being Captain of the Voltron Force. For a brief time, he was just a club goer. Not a respectable member of Galaxy Garrison. Not a Space Explorer. Just Keith Kogane.

"You fight!"

"_For your people!"_

"You fight!"

"_We depend on you!"_

"You fight!"

"_Save us from this fate!_"

"You fight! You fight!"

"Gaze down into Forever."

"_You see your fears"_

"Swallowing the Never, You fight!"

Allura laughed, wild and free. While she had attended concerts at the club, she had never rammed her body into some one else's in the Mosh Pit. As Keith slammed into her, she reached around and pinched his back side. Keith laughed and returned the gesture.

"You fight!"

"_For your people!"_

"You fight!"

"_We depend on you!"_

"You fight!"

"_Save us from this fate!_"

"You fight! You fight!"

A punk with metallic red hair rammed into Keith, knocking him down. The punk smiled and held out his hand, helping Keith up. "Sorry, dude," He yelled into Keith's ear. Keith waved him off. Keith grabbed Allura's hand and pointed to the massive speakers that framed the stage. Kids were getting up on top, taunting the bouncers then diving off into the crowd.

"Let's speaker dive!" Keith catcalled into Allura's ear. Keith ran through the crowd with Allura behind him. Keith climbed up the speakers and waiting until the bouncers were almost on top of him. Keith pulled his pants down, mooning the guards. He pulled them up and dove into the crowd. He crowd surfed until he was at Allura's side again.

"Keith, you're crazy!" She shouted into Keith's ear.

"You're next, Princess!"

"Your sword clasped in your hand."

"_Your nerves harden into steel!"_

"To defend your land, you fight!"

Allura ran to the speaker on the other side of the stage and climbed up. She waved her braid at the on coming guards then wiggled her backside. She not only caught the eyes of the bouncers, but of the drummer. Allura blew the drummer a kiss. The drummer caught the kiss and pressed it to her cheek. As soon as the bouncers could see the angel tattoo on her lower back, Allura jumped off the speakers. Keith applauded Allura's daring. As soon as the pair was reunited, Allura hugged Keith. Keith lowered his head and kissed Allura. Allura pressed against him. The crowd did not hit into them, allowing the couple their brief make out. Keith and Allura parted, out of breath. "Wow," Both gasped together.

"You fight!"

"_For your people!"_

"You fight!"

"_We depend on you!"_

"You fight!"

"_Save us from this fate!_"

"You fight! You fight!"

The crowd clapped and hooted at the end of the song. "This next song is an instrumental called "Pissed Off"," The lead singer informed the crowd. "Pissed Off" started with a heavy drumming solo. The bass guitar joined. Shortly, the lead guitar, played by the lead singer, also added to the cacophony. The instrumental was anger distilled into music. Re-invigorated, the crowd resumed their painful and chaotic dance.

As soon as "Pissed Off" ended, Keith and Allura left the Mosh Pit and went into the single, unisex bathroom. A tall, lanky boy with silver hair and blank eyes wrote rambling poetry over the graffiti-covered walls. As soon as he saw Keith and Allura, he spoke: "This is our temporary immortality, man! Holy Scripture going into Infinity!" He handed the couple markers. "Add to the greatness, if only for a short time."

"Thank you," Allura said. "What do they call you?" She asked as she drew a black angel on the mirror.

"The Poet," The Poet bowed. "The Bard of the Fallen Angel."

"It's an honor to meet the Bard of the Fallen Angel," Keith said, able to speak in normal tones since the thick walls of the bathroom dulled the music into faint thumps. Keith drew a black lion holding up his middle finger.

The Poet looked over their artwork. "Awesome. The Lion and The Angel," The Poet drifted off.

Keith and Allura raised their eyebrows at each other and snickered. "Would you like to get some drinks, Princess?" Keith asked. "My treat."

"Sure. This place makes great ginger beer."

"Great," Keith said.

The pair walked back out into the wall of noise and over to the bar. Keith leaned over and screamed to the bartender, "Two ginger beers please!" The bartender nodded and put two bottles on the bar.

"Five credits each!" The bartender held up all ten fingers.

Keith produced his credit card and ran it through the reader. The bartender nodded his thanks. The couple took their drinks and skirted the Mosh Pit as they found the only unoccupied table. It had one chair. Keith sat down and pulled Allura into his lap. They took their first sips of the ginger beer, searing their throats on the way down and warmed their stomachs. A wondering photographer approached them. "Picture? Only twenty-two credits each," He suggested.

Keith and Allura nodded. Allura leaned against Keith's chest and both put up their left hands, with the pinky and pointer fingers up, the rest down into a fist. The photographer took their picture. He held out a mini-credit reader. Allura pulled out her card. "I'll pay this time," She said and ran the card through the reader. She held up two fingers. "We'll take two pictures."

"Where can I send them?" The photographer asked.

"The Castle of Lions," Allura said. "In care of Princess Allura and Captain Keith Kogane."

"Yes, Your Highness!" The photographer wrote down the information and scurried away.

Allura snuggled against Keith, her mouth close to his ear. "Keith, I've been thinking about my life and the future."

"What did you decide, Princess?" Keith asked.

"I won't be forced into marriage. I won't marry some fob boy prince who only sees me as a stepping stone to power. I will marry because I love the man."

"That's great," Keith said, turning his head so he could talk in her ear better.

"And I've found the man I love."

"Who is that?" Keith asked, worried.

Allura looked at him. "You," She stroked his face.

Keith's eyes widened. "You know, Princess, we could finish what we started down in the Pit," Keith stroked her neck and moved down, tracing her collar bone.

"And what would that be," Allura asked coyly.

"This," Keith pulled her towards him and kissed her. Allura threaded her arms around his neck. Keith kissed her neck and moved down towards her collar bone. Allura threw her head back. Suddenly their communicator bracelets buzzed and vibrated. Keith and Allura started. "Dammit!" Keith swore. "This is Keith!" Keith growled into the communicator.

Lance's picture appeared on the tiny screen in the center of the communicator. "*Keith, sorry to interrupt your date, but we have a report of several Doom fighter ships just over the planet.*"

"Any coffin ships sighted?"

"*No. Not yet anyway.*"

"Okay. We're going to warn the people at the club then get back to the castle."

"*Right, Lance out,*" Lance signed off.

Keith and Allura ran down from the raised table area and up to the stage. The bouncers tried to stop them, but both pulled out their badges. The bouncers let them onto the stage. Keith whispered into the lead singer's ear then both jumped off the stage and dashed outside. As they left they could hear the lead singer stop the music and announce "Okay, we just got word of an incoming attack. The shelter's over that way. Every one move in an orderly fashion and we can wait out the attack."

Keith and Allura ran to the truck and jumped in. Keith sped out of the parking lot, squealing his tires. He raced down King Alfor Lane. A black and white patrol car flashed its lights, signaling for Keith to pull over. Keith complied, rolling down his window. The officer got out of his patrol car and carefully approached Keith's truck. "ID please," The officer demanded. Both pulled out their badges. The officer looked at them and nodded his head. "Sorry, Captain, Your Highness," He said, handing back the badges.

"There's an attack coming," Keith said just as the sirens wailed.

"Okay. Good luck!" The police officer ran back to his car and sped off.

Keith broke several traffic laws getting to the Castle of Lions. At the castle, he barely waited for the gates to go up before pulling to the garage. A guard approached them. "I'll park your car, Captain," The guard said. "So you and the Princess can get up to the Control Room."

"Thank you," Keith threw his keys towards the guard. The guard caught them. Keith and Allura ran to the elevator and punched in the number for the floor that the Control Room rested on. The elevator shot down until it reached a security door. Keith punched in his identity code. The door opened, revealing the metal interior of the Control Room.

"We're here, Coran," Allura said as the pair dashed out of the elevator.

"Very good, Your Highness," Coran said as he turned around. As soon as he saw Keith and Allura in their punk get up, his mouth dropped open. "Princess Allura!"

"Princess Allura, what were you doing out in public in that get up!?!" Nanny demanded. Pidge and Hunk laughed. Lance smirked.

Keith ignored Nanny and Coran. Instead he addressed Lance. "Where are the Doom ships?"

"About to enter the atmosphere," Lance pulled up the image on the screen.

"Let's get into the Lions and meet them before they get too close to the ground," Keith ordered.

The Voltron Force ran to the elevators that would lead them to the Lions. As soon as they were in their robotic Lions, the Lions took off to meet up with the Doom ships in the sky.

"*Keith, should we form Voltron?*" Hunk asked.

"*Not right now. Let's just take out the Doom ships and then see what Lotor has planned for us,*" Keith ordered.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On Prince Lotor's ship, the prince of the Drule Empire paced back and forth. "Don't forget to target the Black Lion," Lotor ordered Cossack.

"Yes, Prince Lotor," Cossack saluted. He turned to the microphone in front of him and ordered the robotic ships to target Keith's Lion.

"Haggar, is the ship carrying our five robeasts in range yet?" Lotor asked.

"Forgive me, Your Highness, but the ship was behind us and was delayed by a meteor storm. It will be here in six hours or there about," Haggar bowed before Lotor.

"Incompetent witch!" Lotor threw a goblet of wine at Haggar.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In the skies of Arus, the Doom ships converged on the Black Lion. Bolts of lightning shot out of the ships. Black Lion jerked and spun. Inside the Lion, Keith screamed as energy coursed through his body. A faint "*Ow, my ears,*" came from Black Lion, then the Mecha slammed into the earth with a shaking thud.

"*KEITH!*" Allura and Lance screamed as the lights in the Black Lion's eyes went out. The Doom ships ignored the rest of the Lions and continued their assaults on Keith. The Blue and Red Lions dove towards the circling Doom ships. Claw missiles and blades sliced into the Doom ships. The Green and Yellow Lions circled over head, making sure that no more Doom ships snuck into the atmosphere and attacked the distracted Red and Blue Lions.

After several tense moments, the lights came back into Black Lion's eyes. "*This is Keith. I'm back online,*" Keith said in a shaky voice.

"*Keith, are you okay?*" Lance asked.

"*A little cooked, but I'll survive.*" Black Lion joined the fight and quickly decimated the remaining Doom ships.

"*There's Lotor's flag ship! It's escaping back into space! We can get him now!*" Hunk yelled over the communicators.

"*Let him go, Hunk,*" Keith ordered. Black Lion wobbled.

"*Keith, what's wrong?*" Pidge asked.

"*I think Black Lion's systems need to be checked. That surge over loaded them,*" Keith admitted.

"*Let's land then. You should get checked out too, Keith,*" Lance suggested.

"*Yes, Mother,*" Keith teased his best friend.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

On Lotor's flag ship, Lotor growled in anger. "Retreat back beyond Arus' moon! We'll wait for the robeasts' ship to join us then Arus and the Black Lion will pay."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As the Voltron Force exited the elevators, Coran and Nanny shared a look of distaste at Keith and Allura's clothing. Keith stumbled and Lance helped him to his feet. Nanny took in Keith's pale face. "What happened, Keith?" She ran to a panel in the wall and pushed a button. The panel rolled up, exposing a First Responder's kit.

"I took a few thousand volts," Keith admitted.

"Those ships can put out 20,000 volts easily, Keith," Hunk, the mechanical expert of the team, said.

"20,000 volts? But wouldn't Keith be dead if he took that much energy?" Allura asked, concerned.

"It's not the voltage, it's the milliamps that are fatal, Princess. A milliamp is 1,000 amps. And it takes forty milliamps or greater to kill some one," Hunk explained. "So those ships have high voltage but relatively low milliamps."

"Where did you learn this?" Allura asked.

"There's a show that was on the Discovery Channel back 200 years ago. Called "Mythbusters." I love that show. I have all twenty seasons on mini disc," Hunk boasted proudly.

"You mean that show with that strange guy in the beret and the hyper red-headed guy?" Lance asked.

"That's them," Hunk smiled.

Nanny examined Keith. She took his blood pressure and listened to his heart. "Your blood pressure is up a bit and your heart is still racing, but that is from the shock. Now, squeeze my hands," Nanny held out her hands. Keith rolled his eyes, but complied. "Your grip is good. I don't think you suffered any long term effects from the shocks. But, you have burns on your ears and by your left eye. And on your nose. The electricity traveled through those ridiculous earrings you have. Does Galaxy Garrison know about them? Probably not. What gentleman pierces his ears all the way up to the top and puts metal in his nose and eye brow?" Nanny scolded. She paused. "And how is your back?" She asked, suddenly.

"It's burning a little bit," Keith admitted.

"Well, let's see if there are any burns on your skin. Drop those pants if you can even get them off!" Nanny ordered.


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

Keith's eyes widened and the rest of the Voltron Force laughed. "Um, I'm sorry, Nanny, but I can't get them off right now. Sorry."

"Well, some one should make sure you don't have burns on your back from that internal brace of yours. Maybe you should go and see Dr. Gorma for a check up," Nanny suggested. "Goddess knows that all the blows you young people take, it's amazing no one has broken their neck! And why are you wearing make up, Keith? In my day, gentlemen did not wear make out, outside of sunscreen."

"Nanny's right, you do look like you're auditioning for KISS," Lance laughed and handed Keith a handkerchief.

Keith wiped his face off. "I guess my eye liner ran with all the sweating we do in battle," Keith laughed.

Allura took a small, lacy handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped down her face. "Mine ran too," She giggled.

"And, Princess, what were you doing going out in public dressed like that?" Nanny demanded. "What would people think if they saw you?"

"Nanny, no one cared how I looked. I fit in with the other people at the club," Allura said calmly.

"What club did you take the Princess to?" Nanny spun around and yelled at Keith.

"The Fallen Angel," Keith answered, rubbing his back.

"What? You took the Princess to that dive?"

"It was my idea, Nanny," Allura defended Keith. "And we had fun! We were in the Mosh Pit and had fun. Keith and I even went speaker diving and crowd surfing."

"What is a Mosh Pit, Princess?" Coran asked.

"It's a pit near the front of the club where people slam into each other. It's great fun," Allura said.

"Fun? The last time Keith talked me into going into one of those things I ended up with three broken ribs and we barely escaped being arrested when a big fight broke out in the pit! Good thing Keith knew the fastest exit out of there. Wait a minute, how did you know where those hidden exits were?" Lance narrowed his brown eyes at his best friend.

Keith laughed. "Because at the Ninth Circle, a fight breaks out once a night, at least. Most of the time, the police aren't called. But that fight was a big one. Oh come on, Lance, admit it, you had fun. And you were punching and kicking with the best of them!"

"You took the Princess to a club where a fight could break out? You took her into this… this pit? Are you insane, Keith?" Nanny yelled in Keith's face.

Keith leaned back. "Hey, it was fun. It's a great way to blow off steam."

"You took her into a pit then…what is this speaker diving and crowd surfing? It sounds dangerous, what ever it is."

"Speaker diving means going up on top of the huge speakers they have on the stage and jumping off. The skill is in waiting until the bouncers are just about to grab you before you jump. It takes practice and timing. But Princess picked it up on her first try. She even teased the bouncers and the drummer," Keith praised Allura.

"WHAT?" Nanny screamed. "How dare you…"

"Bye, Nanny," Allura laughed and ran out of the Control Room with the rest of the Voltron Force behind her. Nanny steamed and sputtered. Coran quietly laughed.

The Voltron Force ran to the recreation room and snickered. "Wow, that was funny, watching Nanny explode like that," Pidge grinned. "Did you two really go speaker diving?" Keith and Allura nodded. "That's so cool!"

"It was fun," Keith said. He wiped sweat off his face. "I could use a quick shower."

"Me too," Allura agreed.

"And I'll come and check your back," Lance shook his head. "So, you two go to your own showers."

"Lance!" Keith and Allura both smacked Lance upside the head.

"Ow!" Lance rubbed his head. The trio walked down the hallway. Keith's room was first.

"I'll see you in the recreation room, Princess," Keith said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. Allura smiled and caressed Keith's face.

"Okay, you two, let's go," Lance pushed Keith towards his door. Once inside, Keith took off his sweat-soaked tee-shirt and tossed it down the laundry chute. Keith sat on his bed and bent down to untie his combat boots then stopped with a groan. "Want me to take them off?" Lance knelt down beside his best friend.

"Yeah. Stupid back," Keith leaned back.

"Maybe you should go to the doctor and have that brace checked out. Maybe the doctors here on Arus can help you. They are more advanced than Earth doctors."

"Maybe later. I don't have time to be laid up," Keith shook his head. Once the boots were unlaced, he kicked them off. He stood back up to slide off his jeans.

"Turn around, Keith and let me check that back of yours," Lance stood up. Keith sighed and turned around, exposing his scarred lower back. "It looks a little pink, but not too bad."

"That's good. It just feels stiff," Keith said. He opened the door to the attached bathroom and went in. Lance followed.

"So how was your date with the Princess?" Lance asked.

"It wasn't a date."

"Oh yes it was. She asked you out. Ergo it was a date," Lance smirked. "So, tell! What was it like?"

Keith stepped into the shower and turned it on. "It was nice."

"What, no steamy details? C'mon, Keith, you can tell me."

Keith soaped up his spiky hair. "Lance, why do you want to know what happened?"

"Because when you answered your communicator, the Princess was sitting on your lap. And you swore when you answered. Not your usual "holy Cheezits" either, but real swearing. So I interrupted something. So, tell me what I interrupted."

"Lance, maybe it's none of your business what you interrupted," Keith stuck his head out of the shower.

"No way, Big Brother. We've never kept secrets from each other. Besides, if you two are getting serious, the Princess needs to know about all the trouble you got into as a kid."

"And you'd know all about it since you were always right with me when it happened," Keith stuck out his tongue.

"Well, what happened?"

"We kissed okay? Once in the Mosh Pit and once at the table. Allura was sitting on my lap because the only table left had one seat."

"Yes!" Lance threw up his fists into the air. "You almost got lucky there, pal."

"Lance, will you get your mind out of the gutter?"

"I'm serious. The Princess likes you. God knows you like her. How many nights have we spent talking about the fact that you're in love with the Princess and all the angst you felt because of it?"

"I don't know. I don't keep track of things like that."

"Well, guess what, Keith. According to Benjenne," Lance referred to the head of the Princess' guard and Lance's girlfriend. "She's been angsting about it too. The fact that she loves you, but is afraid that you don't love her. She never said anything because she didn't want to ruin the friendship she has with you."

"She admitted she loved me, in the club," Keith blushed.

"Alright! You will not be a virgin for much longer, Brother!" Lance exclaimed.

"Lance, you, mind, gutter, out," Keith ducked back into the shower to rinse off.

Lance laughed and went out into the bedroom. A few minutes later, Keith joined him with his wet hair hanging over his shoulders. Keith pulled out a new pair of jeans and a red tee-shirt. As soon as he pulled on the jeans, Allura palmed the door open. "Hi, Keith," She smiled. She was wearing low rise jeans and a pink baby doll top. Her still damp hair was pulled into a long French braid.

"Allura, hi," Keith blushed. He stepped back so Allura could come inside.

Allura looked over Keith's room. She paused when she saw an angel doll with real blonde hair cascading down its back and shimmering wings. "She's beautiful. Where did you get her?" Allura picked up the porcelain doll.

"She was my mother's. My dad gave it to her on their wedding day. Dad said that Mom was his angel," Keith explained.

"Isn't that the same doll we "stole" out of your old house," Lance looked over the doll.

"The same one."

"How did you steal this doll?" Allura asked.

"We were eight years old. My parents had died two years before. I hadn't been in the house since the day they were killed. I wanted to go inside but I was afraid that Aunt Charli and Uncle Caleb wouldn't let me go in. So, Lance and I devised a plan to get inside the house ourselves," Keith sat on his bed.

*****************

Eight-year-old Keith Akira Kogane looked up at his house from the McCastlin's back yard. "You thinkin' about the house again, Keith?" Lance Charles McCastlin, Keith's best friend and now brother since the McCastlins had adopted him, asked.

"Yeah. I want to see it. Go inside."

"Why don't you ask Mom and Dad?"

"Because Uncle Caleb and Aunt Charli would say no. They'd probably think it was too upsetting for me. Or something like that," Keith crossed his arms over his skinny chest. Keith paused and thought. A smile crept across his face.

"What's going on in that mind of yours, Keith," Lance asked, excited. Keith's ideas almost always meant fun and possibly being grounded.

"We're going to break in. Tonight. It's Friday, so we don't have school in the morning. We'll have all night to explore," Keith said.

"How will we get in?"

"The back door. Uncle Tommy taught us how to pick locks," Keith referred to Lance's uncle, a private investigator. "So, we can pick the lock on the back door and go in," Keith sat back on the grass. He looked over the large back yard. No fence separated the McCastlin and Kogane houses, giving the two boys ample space for their pretend adventures.

"Okay," Lance grinned. "We should get stuff together too. I don't know what we'll need."

"Food, something to drink. Those night-vision goggles that Uncle Bean gave us. Our back packs. I can't think of anything else. Oh gloves so we don't leave finger prints. Lance, don't wear your new shoes. They squeak. We gotta be quiet."

"Right, Captain," Lance teased his best friend. "There's Mom," Lance said as his mother, Charlene McCastlin, waved from the back porch.

"Boys, dinner!" She called out.

"Coming, Aunt Charli!" Keith yelled for both of the boys. Lance and Keith scampered across the yard and into the house.

"Oh, you two, get washed up. We're having chicken pot pie for dinner and strawberry pie for dessert," Charli ruffled Keith and Lance's hair.

"Yum!" Lance yelled as the pair ran to the downstairs bathroom and almost ran over Caleb McCastlin as he walked in from the living room.

"Boys, watch where you are going!" Caleb called out.

"Sure, Dad," Lance said as the pair ran into the bathroom.

Once inside the bathroom, Keith whispered to Lance. "Get your dad's security code so we don't set off the alarm when we leave the house."

"I know where he keeps a copy of it. I'll get it after they go to bed," Lance promised.

The boys washed up and joined Charli and Caleb at the table. After a short blessing, Charli put individual pot pies in front of everyone. Caleb ate while he looked over a letter that arrived just before dinner. "I have good news, boys. Your Uncle Gene has a week-long pass from the Space Marines. He's coming for a visit."

"UNCLE BEAN'S COMING!" Lance and Keith yelled happily. At a year old, neither Keith or Lance could pronounce "Gene" and renamed Gene McCastlin "Bean" and had called him than ever since.

"Inside voices," Charli reminded the pair.

"Sorry, Aunt Charli," Keith blushed.

The family chatted about the day's events during dinner. As soon as everyone had their fill of strawberry pie and vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, Caleb and the boys cleared the table and loaded up the dish washer. Charli programmed the dishwasher to clean and dry the dishes. They settled into the living room, Caleb and Charli watching the local news while Keith and Lance finished up the last of their home work.

With Autumn's grasp firmly on San Francisco, night came early. And just as early came Lance and Keith's bed time. The boys did not protest as they went upstairs. Instead, as soon as they were in their big room, they hurriedly packed their back packs and hid them under their beds. They crawled into bed before Charli and Caleb came in.

"Good night, boys," Charli kissed both boys on top of their heads. "And try to get some sleep and not spend up all night playing like you did last Friday night."

"Sure, Mom," Lance smirked.

Charli rolled her eyes and left. Keith and Lance listened to the noise downstairs as they waited for Caleb and Charli to retire for the night. "Boy, adults sure like to stay up late," Lance grumbled. "But they won't let us stay up past 8."

"I guess it's one of those adult privileges. Like driving," Keith shrugged his shoulders. "Or being able to have beer."

"Well it stinks," Lance huffed.

"Shh…they're coming up the stairs," Keith warned Lance. Both boys pulled the covers up around themselves and pretended to be asleep.

Caleb opened the door and looked in. "How are they?" Charli whispered.

"Fast asleep," Caleb smiled.

"Good. Let's let them rest."

Caleb eased the door shut. Keith opened one eye. He slipped out of bed and pressed his ear to the door. He could hear Caleb and Charli walking down to their bedroom and the door closing. "It's safe," Keith murmured. "Let's get dressed."

Lance got out of bed and pulled on black jeans and a black sweat shirt. He pulled on dark blue boots. Keith also wore black jeans and black sweat shirt. His boots were dark red. The boys slipped out of their room. In the hallway, they heard Caleb open his bedroom door. Keith and Lance hopped into the hallway closet. Caleb, yawning and scratching his stomach, mumbled "Pie." Keith and Lance giggled softly. They could hear Caleb rummaging through the fridge for the left over strawberry pie.

"Oh, great, figures Dad would want a midnight snack," Lance groaned. "Why can't we have a midnight snack?"

"Another adult perk," Keith sighed. "Shh, he's coming back up the stairs. I hope he left some pie."

Caleb came up with a red-smeared mouth and went back to bed. "He looked like he was wearing lipstick!" Lance snickered.

"Men don't wear lipstick," Keith said.

"Some men do," Lance shook his head.

"I know I'd never wear lipstick," Keith proclaimed.

*****************

Allura interrupted the tale with giggles. "Well, you said you'd never wear lipstick," She grinned. "I guess you were wrong about that."

"I don't wear it all the time," Keith protested.

"No, but you do wear lipstick," Lance snickered at his best friend.

"Do you want to hear the rest of this story?" Keith asked Allura.

"Sure."

"Well, once Uncle Caleb went back to bed, Lance and I snuck downstairs. Lance knew exactly where Uncle Caleb kept the code for the security system…"

*****************

Lance climbed onto the china cabinet and pulled down a small jar that once held tea. Lance opened it and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to Keith. Keith looked at the numbers, memorizing it. Then he handed it back to Lance. Lance replaced the code into the jar and put the jar back. He slowly climbed down the china cabinet. The pair went into the kitchen and punched the code into the back door security panel. The light went red then out. Keith unlocked the door and eased it open. The pair slipped outside and ran down the steps. Quickly, the boys dashed towards the Kogane back porch. Before they could work on the lock, a police car drove down the alley. The boys hid behind two large chairs until the patrol car passed.

"Whew," Lance wiped the sweat off his brow. "That was close. I forgot about the regular neighborhood patrols."

"Let's get into the house before he comes back," Keith said.

Lance pulled out his home made lock pick kit and worked on the lock. It took him several minutes to unlock the door. "Get inside," He waved to Keith. Lance followed behind him and shut the door.

The boys paused in the kitchen. Against the wall stood the small table and four chairs. Keith looked through the cabinets. All were empty. "Where did everything go, Lance?" He asked his best friend.

"Mom and Dad said they had stuff in storage for you. For when you get older," Lance said.

"Oh," Keith frowned. They walked into the large dining room. The big table, chairs and an empty china cabinet rested in that room. In the living room, only the TV was missing. Keith walked beside the couch and paused. A flash of white caught his eye. "Hey," He bent down and picked up an angel doll. "This was Mom's," He said and hugged it. "How did it end up here?"

"Maybe it got knocked down when Mom and Dad were packing things up?" Lance suggested.

"Maybe," Keith agreed. "I'm taking her with us. She was Mom's. I wonder if she was lonely. I mean two years in this house with no one else."

"I don't know if dolls can get lonely, Keith," Lance frowned. "Do you want to go into the basement before we head upstairs?"

"I don't know. We aren't allowed in the basement," Keith's basic lawful tendencies surfaced briefly.

"Keith, we just broke into a house. I think we can go down to the basement," Lance laughed.

Suddenly, a car pulled up in front of the Kogane house. Keith pulled Lance down to the floor. The boys crept over to the big bay window and peered over. "Holy Cheezits! It's the cops!" Keith exclaimed.

A police officer knocked on the McCastlins' door. Caleb opened it. "What's wrong, Officer?" Caleb asked, worried.

"We got a silent alarm from the Kogane house. The records say to contact you, sir," The officer explained.

"A silent alarm? Oh my. There's nothing but furniture to steal in there," Caleb said. He pulled on a pair of shoes and his coat.

"If you wish, sir, we can examine the outside of the house," The officer offered.

"Lance, go and lock the back door!" Keith ordered.

"Right!" Lance slunk off to the kitchen and locked the back door. He then rejoined his friend. "I didn't think there was an alarm on this house. It's empty!" Lance confessed.

"Me either. I guess we just wait now," Keith sighed.

The officer rattled the doors. "They appear to be locked, Mr. McCastlin."

"It might have been a short in the system. We keep just enough power on in the house to run the security system," Caleb mused.

"That might be it, sir," The officer nodded his head.

"Well, I'll go in tomorrow and check the system. Disregard any more alarms from this house," Caleb ordered.

"Very well, sir," The officer saluted and left.

Keith and Lance let out a sigh of relief. "That was close. We could have been arrested!" Lance exclaimed.

"I don't think we'd be arrested. We're only eight-years-old, after all," Keith shook his shaggy black hair.

"Well, let's go and check out the basement."

"Okay," Keith agreed. The boys opened the basement door and walked down the creaking steps. As they entered the first room of the basement, the game room, Keith sighed. Only the pool table remained. The big television, the cupboard of mini discs, the gaming system was all gone. The mini-fridge sat empty. The next room held the washer, dryer, and a half-bath. The farthest room held the boiler, furnace and water heater. The room was draped in dust and cobwebs. A space rat ran across Lance's foot.

Lance gulped and gripped Keith's free hand. "This is creepy. I can see why Mom and Dad won't let us in the basement alone."

"Your parents' basement is different. It's not scary. Mom and Dad's basement wasn't scary before…"

"I never thought about it," Lance admitted. "Can we go upstairs now?"

"Sure. You're the one who wanted to come down here in the first place."

"I was wrong. Let's go upstairs," Lance pulled his friend towards the stairs. The boys ran upstairs and up to the second floor. "Let's check out the attic," Lance suggested.

"Sure, we'll probably find bats up there," Keith said.

The stairs to the attic loomed long and dark. Slowly, Keith and Lance crawled up the steps. As they drew nearer to the door, they heard chirps and squeaks. "Bats?" Lance whimpered. Keith shook his head. He pushed open the door. A family of squirrels looked up at the intrusion. "Squirrels! Cute! Too bad we don't have any nuts for them," Lance grinned. A large squirrel looked up at Lance and threw an acorn at him. The squirrels chattered. "Ow!"

"I think they're laughing at you," Keith giggled. "Let's leave them alone."

"Sure. Stupid bushy-tailed rats," Lance rubbed his face.

Downstairs, Keith pushed open the door to his old room. "It's empty," He frowned.

"Yeah, Keith, all your stuff is in my room, remember? We share a room now."

"I know. It's just…"

"You were expecting something to be here, right?" Lance put a hand on Keith's shoulder.

"Yeah. Let's go," Keith turned away from the memories of his old room. The boys bypassed the bathroom. Keith stopped at the last door on the floor. His parents' bedroom. Keith slowly pushed it open. The king-sized bed stood in the middle of the room. It was coated in dust and bare of any sheets and pillows. The dressers and vanity were empty. The closet also held nothing. Keith sniffled and crawled into the bed. He curled up around the doll.

"Keith?" Lance sat next to his friend. "Keith, are you alright?"

"They're gone," Keith whispered. "They're really gone," He sobbed. Keith curled up tighter around the angel doll. "My parents are dead," He cried. His back shook with the cries. Lance sat on the dusty bed, helpless. Keith sobbed for several minutes then quieted down.

"Keith?" Lance asked fearfully. Keith did not answer. Lance looked at his friend and saw him asleep. Lance sighed and curled up next to his best friend.

As morning dawned over the city, Charli McCastlin opened the door to Keith and Lance's room. "Boys, breakfast," She called out. She screamed when she saw the empty beds.

Caleb ran to his wife. "What's wrong?"

"The boys aren't in their beds!" Charli pointed to the beds. "Where could they have gone?"

Caleb looked over the room. "Their backpacks are missing. And those goggles Gene gave them. Black jeans and sweat shirts also missing. I know where they are," Caleb shook his head.

"Where?" Charli asked.

"I bet Keith wanted to go home," Caleb answered. He kissed his wife on the cheek and promised to be back with the boys by the time she was finished making pancakes. Caleb went next door and opened the door. He turned off the alarm. He looked around down stairs then went upstairs. He knew which was the only room that had a bed. Caleb paused at the door to Keith's parents' room. He sighed then opened it. "Well, I found the cause of the short," He chuckled. "Keith? Lance?" Caleb called out. He gently shook Lance.

"Uh-oh," Lance sat up and rubbed his eyes. "Keith, Keith? We're busted," He poked Keith's shoulder.

Keith sat up, his face stained with dust and tears. His black eyes were dull. "Oh, Keith," Caleb hugged his adopted son. "If you had wanted to come here, all you had to do was ask," Caleb ruffled Keith's hair.

"Yes, Uncle Caleb," Keith said dully.

"Come on, boys, you both need a shower and Charli is frying up pancakes," Caleb helped Keith and Lance off the bed.

"Uncle Caleb," Keith tugged on Caleb's shirt.

"Yes, Keith?"

"I want to visit Mom and Dad," Keith requested. He looked down.

"After breakfast, you can go. We can even stop at the flower shop and get you some flowers to give them," Caleb promised.

"Thank you," Keith whispered.

Charli hugged Lance and Keith as soon as they stepped through the front door. "Oh, you two. My heart just stopped when I found your beds empty!" She scolded. "And how did you get so dirty? Is the house that dusty? I must go and clean it then. And since you boys decided to go exploring, you can help me clean," She insisted.

"Charlene," Caleb shook his head. "Let's let the boys get cleaned up. We have to talk."

"Okay. Oh, Keith, what are you holding?" Charli asked, looking down at the boy.

"She was Mom's. I'm keeping her," Keith clutched the doll to his chest.

"Of course, Keith. She's yours now. But how about I clean her up while you and Lance get cleaned up," Charli knelt down in front of Keith.

"Okay. Aunt Charli?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you have any pictures of Mom and Dad? I don't have any."

"How about after we visit the cemetery, we stop by the storage warehouse and find a picture of your parents for you to put on your nightstand."

"Okay. Thank you. And I'm sorry we scared you," Keith hugged his adopted aunt.

*****************

"Oh, Keith, that's so sad," Allura wiped tears from Keith's face. "No wonder that doll is so special."

"She's been with me ever since. Even when I was in the Space Academy. No one made fun of me for it, either."

"You and Lance went into the Academy together?" Allura asked. She picked the picture of Keith's parents. Keith's father, Akira, was Japanese, born and raised in San Francisco's Japan Town. Keith's mother, Meyong, was Chinese was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but was raised by her parents in San Francisco's China Town.

"Yep. We even shared a room. In fact, living in this castle is the first time since Keith and I were six that we haven't shared a room," Lance said. He paused. "I hear Nanny coming!"

"Allura, hide in the bathroom," Keith ordered. Allura nodded and ran into the bathroom. Just as the door closed, Nanny knocked at the front door. Keith opened his bedroom door. "Hello, Nanny."

"Keith, how is your back?" Nanny asked.

"Just fine. All I needed was a good shower to loosen it up."

"And have you seen Dr. Gorma?"

"No. I'll see him tomorrow, I promise," Keith groaned. "Is there something you need?"

"The mail has come. And you, Lance, Pidge and Hunk have packages from Earth. The packages are in the recreation room. And Coran said that an important communiqué just came in from Galaxy Garrison for you," Nanny informed Keith.

"Thank you, Nanny," Keith smiled at her.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**WARNING: THIS SECTION CONTAINS A LOVE SCENE!! **

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

Lance sniffed the air. "What smells so good?"

"The royal cook just made up a batch of the Princess' favorite cookie. They will be in the recreation room since that is where the Princess prefers to be," Nanny sniffed.

"Tell Hunk to leave some for the rest of us," Lance laughed. Nanny huffed and left.

Allura came out of the bathroom. "Harvest cookies? Let's go to the recreation room!" Allura clapped her hands.

"Okay. I need to get that communiqué from Coran," Keith said. The trio walked out of Keith's bedroom. Keith and Allura held hands as they walked.

"Keith!" Coran called out. "I have the communiqué from Galaxy Garrison."

"Thank you," Keith reached for it but Allura grabbed the paper from Coran's hand. "Allura!" Keith laughed.

"You want your piece of paper, come and get it," Allura teased.

Keith ran after the Princess. He caught her at the end of the hallway and wrapped his arms around her. "Now what are you going to do, Princess."

"This," Allura pulled Keith down and kissed him.

"Oh brother," Lance rolled his eyes.

Coran cleared his throat. Keith and Allura looked at Coran. "Perhaps, it would be best if you kissed some place more private," Coran suggested.

"Good idea," Keith laughed. "My bedroom is closer," He offered.

"First, let's read that communiqué of yours. And I want to see what's in those packages. Care Packages are always so interesting," Allura blushed.

"They are. Let's go into the recreation room."

Lance paused and turned towards Coran. "Don't even try to break them up, Coran. They love each other. And that means more than social station or power," Lance said in a low voice.

"I wouldn't dream of it. The people like Captain Keith. And, there is royal precedence for a marriage between the two of them."

"Good," Lance turned and went into the recreation room.

In the recreation room, Pidge and Hunk sat eating the cookies Nanny had sent up. "Hey did you save any for me?" Allura asked, her hands on her hips.

Hunk blushed. "There are plenty of cookies left, Princess."

"I know," Allura grabbed a few leaf shaped cookies, stuffed with dried fruits, nuts, and spices, and plopped down on the couch. Keith sat next to her.

Keith unfolded the communiqué and read it over. A grin spread across his face. "Yes!"

"What is it, Keith?" Lance asked as he sat down.

"Galaxy Garrison is making our stationing on Arus permanent!"

"Awesome!" Lance yelled.

"And, Sven's been assigned to Pollux permanently too. I'll have to call him. This clears way for us to become citizens of Arus if we wish," Keith said. "Excuse me," He stood up and walked over to the video phone in the corner of the recreation room. Keith picked up the handle and dialed in a string of numbers.

"*Hello, this is Sven Holgersson,*" Sven picked up his phone.

"Sven, it's me, Keith. I just got good news from Galaxy Garrison. You've been assigned to Planet Pollux permanently!"

"*Yes!*" Sven jumped up and down.

"Wow, Sven, I haven't seen you this jumpy since the time that Keith and I put itching powder in your underwear drawer," Lance stood by Keith and laughed.

"*Vhat? It vas you two who put the itching powder in my shorts? I almost scratched my ass off!*" Sven exclaimed. Allura, Hunk and Pidge laughed in the background. "*It vas not funny!*"

"Oh, yes it was, Sven, yes it was," Keith smirked. "Well, I just wanted to give you the good news. Good bye."

"*You just vait. I vill get you for this!*" Sven promised before hanging up.

"You two really put itching powder in Sven's drawer?" Allura giggled.

"Three big bottles full. Oh, he had it coming to him. In the Academy, Sven was a bit stuck up since he was older than the rest of us in our cadet unit," Keith said.

"We always had a tendency to go after the high and mighty ones. Like that general. And the garlic flavored gumballs," Lance smirked.

"Oh, I remember that!" Allura held her nose. "That poor man's breath was awful for days! What happened to his regular gumballs? And how did you figure out he liked gum balls to begin with?"

"Simple, Princess. Lance and I got roped into helping him move into the castle. I saw the glass jar with gumballs in a box. I guess he was using them to help himself quit smoking."

"And his regular gumballs?"

"In my room," Lance admitted. "They're gourmet ones too. Made by Jelly Belly. They make jelly beans on Earth. Yum."

"And you better quit hogging the red cinnamon ones. I love those," Keith poked Lance in the chest.

"Oh, Keith, Lance, you two are incorrigible." Allura laughed.

"Lance, remember the time we replaced Uncle Caleb's jelly beans with those Bertie Botts' Every Flavor Jelly Beans?" Keith grinned.

"The look on Dad's face when he bit into a vomit-flavored one. It was worth being grounded for a week."

Keith laughed. The pair rejoined the rest of the Voltron Force on the big couch. "Oh, Pidge, I need you to read the next part of this missive." Keith handed the paper over to Pidge.

"What? Okay," Pidge adjusted his large, round glasses and cleared his throat. "It is our pleasure to grant your request that Corporal Darrell Stoker, known also as Pidge, be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant, Third Class." Pidge paused. "Keith, I've been promoted?"

"You've earned it, Pidge. I wish I could have gone higher than Lieutenant, Third Class, but it's a promotion, none the less."

"Wow! I gotta call my parents!" Pidge ran to the video phone and dialed in a longer string of numbers. As soon as Mrs. Stoker answered her phone, Pidge exclaimed "Mom, I've been promoted! I'm a Lieutenant, Third Class now!"

"*Oh, Pidge sweetheart, that's wonderful! I can't wait to tell your father. And your brother, Chip,*" Mrs. Stoker said happily. "Did you get your care package?"

"I did, Mom, but I didn't open it yet. Thank you, though."

"You're welcome. And I am so proud of you, Pidge. Good bye dear," Mrs. Stoker hung up the phone.

"Congratulations, Pidge," Hunk slapped Pidge on the back. Lance and Allura joined also added their congratulations to Pidge.

Allura went to the intercom and pressed the button for the kitchen. "Cookie, can you make up a special dinner for tonight? We have a lot to celebrate."

"*Of course Your Highness. I'll get started on it right away!*" Cookie, the Royal Chef said.

"Let's open those boxes," Hunk said after Allura sat down next to Keith. Hunk opened his first and pulled out a few magazines and a box filled with huge cookies. "Alright! Monster cookies and "Popular Mechanic", "Tech Briefs", and "Omni"!" Hunk looked through his magazines.

"Monster cookies, what are those?" Allura asked.

"They've got everything in them, nuts, raisins, M&Ms, chocolate chips, peanut butter. Here try one," Hunk handed Allura a cookie the size of her hand. "What all did you guys get?"

"Peanut butter blossoms," Lance looked through his box. "And, Uncle Tommy's new book. Hey, you got one too, Keith. Great. Oh and Billy Luna's newest disc "Jazz Fiesta". Wow. And, the Hot Foot Powder," Lance laughed.

"Great. Aunt Charli sent me the Bertie Botts' Jelly Beans," Keith grinned evilly.

"Oh dear, who are you boys going to prank now?" Allura giggled.

"Coran," Lance and Keith said together.

"Need any help?" Allura asked.

"Sure, we could always use help," Keith hugged her. He kept digging through his box. "TASER Tiger's new disc: "Midnight Sentinels". They've been going pretty dark the last few discs," Keith commented. "I hope Aunt Charli packed it," Keith pushed aside a few more things. "Ah, ha!" He exclaimed and pulled out a small, velvet box.

"What's in that box?" Allura asked. Keith opened it, showing off a golden ring set with a star ruby. "Oh, Keith, it's beautiful."

"It was my mother's engagement ring," Keith said. He slipped down from the couch and took Allura's hand into his. "Allura, I know this isn't the perfect place or time. Or the most romantic, but I've learned through life that if you wait for the perfect time, it might be too late. Allura, will you honor me by becoming my wife?" Keith asked, holding his breath.

"Oh, yes," Allura hugged him. Tears flowed down her face. Keith slipped the ring into her left ring finger.

Keith sat back into the couch and pulled Allura into his arms. She threaded her arms around his neck and kissed him. Lance groaned. "Here they go again." Allura and Keith ignored Lance, ignored everything going on in the room. Keith's hands stroked Allura's body as he moved his lips down her throat. Allura giggled. Hunk slapped his hands over Pidge's eyes while Lance covered his ears.

"Hey, why are you doing that?" Pidge complained.

"Because, you're too young!" Lance said. "You shouldn't be seeing this."

"It's only kissing," Pidge objected.

"That kind of kissing can lead to other things. Things that you are not old enough to see," Lance shook his head. "Things we're not old enough to see. Some one get a bucket of water to throw on them!"

Keith and Allura did not hear the door swish open. Nanny and Coran walked into the recreation room. Coran had a slim, black box in his hand. "Princess, Keith, I…oh dear," Coran stopped short. Nanny let out a piercing scream and fainted. The Voltron Force, including Keith and Allura, ran to Nanny and caught her before she hit the floor. "Get her into the chair," Coran directed.

"Got it," Keith said. "This way, team," He guided everyone to the over-stuffed chair. Gently, they deposited Nanny into the chair. "Allura, get some ice and wrap it in towels. Pidge, get the smelling salts out of the first aide kit," Keith ordered. "Lance, loosen her collar."

"Right!" Allura ran to the drink dispenser and pushed the button for ice. She put the ice into three tea towels and wrapped them up. Pidge went to the first aide kit and grabbed the smelling salts. Allura handed over two towels, one to Keith and one to Lance. Keith put his towel on Nanny's neck while Allura and Lance put ice on her wrists. Pidge waved the smelling salts under her nose. Hunk kept Nanny from falling out of the chair.

"Oh my," Nanny groaned as she opened her eyes. As soon as she saw Allura, Nanny pushed the Voltron Force off her and jumped to her feet. She spun around. "How dare you kiss the Royal Princess like that, you scoundrel!" She shouted at Keith.

"Nanny, Keith did nothing wrong," Allura pleaded with Nanny.

"Proper gentlemen do not force themselves on a Lady!"

"Keith didn't force me to do anything!" Allura held up her left hand, showing off the ring. "Keith and I are engaged."

"WHAT!? You can't get engaged to that…that man! It's not proper! He's just a commoner and only a Captain to boot! I forbid you to marry him, Allura!" Nanny crossed her arms over ample bosom.

Allura growled in anger while Keith turned red with embarrassment. "You forbid me, Nanny? You've forgotten your place, Nanny! You've always been like a mother to me, and I love you for that, but I am an adult and I expect you to start treating me like one! And, it's not up to you to tell me who I can or cannot marry! I love Keith and I will marry him. And he won't be a Prince Consort. He will be my King. He will be my equal. If you can't accept that, then I'm sorry, but I will have to ask you to leave the Castle."

"Princess!" Nanny exclaimed. "How can you have a non-noble, non-Arusian for a husband? The people won't accept it. And there is no historical basis for that either."

"That is where you are wrong, Nanny," Coran spoke up. "The Princess' family line, the Dilayas, was started by a warrior named Kierian Dilayas who fell in love with the Queen Tamila. She ruled alone after her husband's death. Kierian saw the Queen at a distance and fell deeply in love with her. To prove himself, he did battle with and over came one hundred of Arus' best knights. He presented those knights to the Queen as a gift of love."

"Wouldn't have flowers and chocolate been a better way to win her heart?" Lance interrupted the tale, laughing.

"Things were done differently then. Queen Tamila gave her gifts their freedom. She married Kierian shortly after and made him King. The one hundred knights swore to serve her and Kierian and defend their honor with their lives."

"So those knights became the start of the Queen's Guard and the King's Guard?" Allura asked.

"Yes, Princess. And the Guards have been in use since," Coran nodded his head, happy that his long days spent educating the Princess finally paid off. "And the people of Arus support Keith. They like him. They'd accept him as King. He's proven himself over and over again to be loyal to Arus. So, Nanny, you have no cause to speak out against Keith like that."

"Or against any of the Voltron Force," Allura added. "They might not have been born on Arus, but they have all put their lives on the line to defend Arus. And, I am granting Keith, Lance, and Hunk citizenship just like I granted it to Pidge when Planet Balto was destroyed. They've earned it."

"As you wish, Princess," Nanny sighed.

"Don't take it so hard, Nanny. Allura will still need you," Keith said.

"That's right. Keith and I will have children. And who better to help care for them than the same woman who cared for me," Allura smiled at the Royal Governess.

"Of course, Princess. I will help care for any children you and the Captain have," Nanny nodded. "Speaking of children, it will be bad enough that one parent will be zooming around in a Lion. But both, that will be too dangerous. Also, how will you fly that Lion when you are pregnant?"

"Galaxy Garrison can send some one to replace me. I'd look horrible in that uniform pregnant. And, well, once Keith and I are married, I want to focus on our family. I will be retiring from the Voltron Force once my replacement is trained," Allura declared.

"But, you'd still fly if we were short handed, right?" Pidge asked.

"I would, Pidge. I will miss flying in the Blue Lion."

"You know, we don't have to go to Galaxy Garrison for a replacement," Lance spoke up. "Remember that kid we saw flying in the air show the other day? The one in the purple jet."

"Yeah, he was good," Keith nodded his head. "And he'd already know the basics of flying. And have some military training too. Did you get his name, Lance?"

"Yeah. Iain MacLoch. He's a Lieutenant in the Arusian Royal Air Force."

"We should talk to him and make the offer," Princess Allura said. "And if he accepts, he can start training right away."

"I'll contact Lieutenant MacLoch and make the offer," Coran said.

Keith hugged Allura. "I'll miss fighting by your side, Princess. You're a fine pilot."

"I learned from the best." Allura looked up at him and pulled his head down for a kiss.

"Oh no you don't!" Lance grabbed the discarded ice and dropped it down their shirts.

"LANCE!" Keith and Allura shrieked. Hunk and Pidge laughed while Nanny just shook her head in dismay.

"Come back here!" Keith yelled and chased after Lance, Allura right behind him. Keith and Allura chased Lance down the hallway, dodging around servants. Before Lance could duck into his room, Keith grabbed him and pinned his arms behind his back. "Got'cha!"

"Let me go!" Lance squirmed.

"Nope, Little Brother, you have to pay," Keith laughed evilly. Allura lunged and started tickling Lance.

"No! Don't! HELP!" Lance laughed and twisted helplessly in Keith's grip. "Don't! I'll pee my pants!"

"What's going on here? Who's picking on my Lance?" Asked a tall woman with long auburn hair and dressed in a maroon uniform.

"Benjenne, help me!" Lance called out to his girlfriend.

"What did Lance do?" Benjenne asked.

"Dumped ice down our shirts," Keith answered.

"His feet are far more sensitive," Benjenne pounced on Lance and pulled off his shoes and socks. She started tickling his feet.

"Noo! A three person tickle attack is illegal! HELP!" Lance laughed, tears streaming down his face. Hunk and Pidge stood in the hallway, laughing at Lance. Coran shook his head sadly.

"Are you sorry for dumping ice down our shirts?" Allura demanded.

"YES, I'M SORRY!" Lance wailed. The tickling stopped and Keith let him go. Lance scrambled to his bare feet and ran into his room.

"Was that necessary?" Coran asked Keith.

"It was. He dumped ice down my shirt," Keith answered calmly.

Coran opened his mouth then closed it. "Never mind. I have to set up lessons for you, Keith."

"What?" Keith exclaimed. "Lessons? What for?"

"Since you are going to be King of Arus, there is much you have to learn. History, etiquette, protocol. Don't worry, the Princess also studies these things. She can help you. Oh, dear, do you know how to dance?" Coran asked.

"Dance? A little bit. We had lessons at the Academy and I never broke anyone's foot," Keith shrugged.

"Well, the dancing instructor will come by tomorrow to start lessons with you. It wouldn't hurt for the rest of you to learn some better dancing skills," Coran suggested.

"I dance fine," Lance said, coming out of his room. "I mean, I don't slam dance like Keith does."

"But not in the proper way," Coran corrected. "And, this slam dancing is not dancing. I looked it up on the computer. It is only running into other people. How can you do that and not get injured?"

"You're very careful," Keith smirked. "But, you go into the Pit, you expect to get hurt. It comes with the program."

Coran sighed. "Well it's dangerous and you shouldn't do it."

Keith rubbed his eyes. "I doubt I'll have to time to do anything fun for a while."

"What's wrong, Keith?" Lance asked.

"It's just a feeling I'm getting. It's probably nothing," Keith said.

"I don't know. When you get a feeling, it's usually right," Lance frowned.

"It's probably nothing," Keith smiled. Allura snuggled up to Keith and stroked his arm.

"Okay, you two, why don't you take it a bedroom?" Lance groaned. He disappeared into his room and came back with a small box. "Here. You'll need these," He slipped the box into Keith's hand. Keith turned bright red. Thankfully, Coran had left, planning lessons in his mind.

Keith leaned forward and whispered to Allura and Lance. "Half Hot Foot Powder for Coran, half for Nanny. And Coran gets the jelly beans."

"Got it. I'll get the stuff while you two have fun. I'll take your box into my room too. You can just grab it later."

"Do you guys always do that? Just walk into each other's rooms?" Allura asked as they walked towards Keith's room.

"Sure. It took two weeks to get to Arus, and it was just us five guys on the ship. Things were pretty casual. Hunk would even forget his pants once in awhile. No big deal, really. Like I said, it was just the five of us."

"I feel sorry for you guys if Hunk forgot his pants," Allura laughed.

Keith snickered and palmed open the door to his room and bowed so Allura could go in ahead of him. Allura sat on Keith's bed and smiled at him. Keith turned bright red and looked down at his boots. "So, um..."

"So..." Allura blushed and giggled. "What did Lance give you in the hallway?"

"These," Keith held out the box. Allura laughed. "Lance has a one-track mind," Keith admitted.

"I can see that," Allura giggled. Allura snuggled up to Keith and stroked his arm. "You know, we could put those to good use. Dinner's not for several hours."

Instead of answering, Keith leaned down and kissed Allura. Allura wound her fingers through Keith's thick black hair. Keith ran his hands over her torso as his lips moved down her neck. Allura arched up against him. His hands stroked her breasts through the thin material of her shirt.

"Keith, please," Allura begged softly. Keith started to lift up her shirt, but the material snagged on her bra. Keith struggled with the material before it ripped, the pieces falling away from Allura's body. Allura unhooked her bra. Keith tossed it over his shoulder. Keith lowered his head and kissed Allura's breasts. This was not the first time he had seen Allura's breasts. On one ill-fated swim outing, Allura, wearing a brief, pink bikini, dove into the water off the head of her Blue Lion. Allura's top surfaced before she did. Keith had been turned in just the right time as she popped to the surface of the water, giving him an eyeful of her chest. That had been a brief glance and of course, he had not been allowed to touch her. But now, he could kiss and tease, bury his face into the hollow that formed between the pale mounds. Allura gasped. Her hands tugged at his red tee-shirt. Keith paused and let her tug it over his head. The shirt went sailing off the bed. Allura fumbled with the buckle to Keith's belt. "Pants, off," She ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness," Keith teased and unbuckled his pants. He kicked his pants and boots off. Then he unzipped Allura's jeans and slid them off her body. He kissed her tattooed belly-button.

"That tickles," Allura laughed. She reached for the box given to them by Lance. She pulled out a foil-wrapped circle and popped it open.

"Are you sure you're ready, Allura?" Keith asked as Allura rolled the condom on him.

Allura laid back and wrapped her legs around Keith's waist. "I am," She purred. Keith kissed Allura as he slid into her. Allura gasped as something inside her gave way. She clung to Keith as he moved gently inside her. "Oh Goddess, yes," She moaned softly, holding tighter onto Keith. Pressure built up deep inside her. She let out a soft cry and shuddered. On top of her, Keith shuddered also. "Oh, sweet Goddess," She panted.

"That was…amazing," Keith kissed Allura. Allura snuggled up against his chest and yawned. "Rest my heart," He whispered.

Keith and Allura spent the intervening hours caressing, kissing and making love several more times. Allura rested her head on Keith's chest, stroking the scar that went across his chest and stomach, a souvenir from Lotor's laser sword. Keith had another scar from that same sword across his left shoulder. Both scars occurred while Keith was protecting Allura. Allura shivered and pressed closer to him.

"Is something wrong, Princess?" Keith asked, kissing her head.

"Nothing. Just memories," Allura answered.

Before Keith could answer, the door slid open and Lance walked in wearing his white Space Explorer Uniform. "Hey, Big Brother…"

"LANCE!" Keith and Allura yelled as Allura pulled the sheet over her body and Keith grabbed his pillow and hurled at Lance. Keith's aim was as good as ever. Lance slid down the wall, the pillow still firmly implanted on his face.

Lance pulled the pillow off his face. "Sorry," Lance rubbed his sore face. He looked over the naked, sweaty pair. "Alright! Exiting Virginville, Keith Kogane!"

"Lance, get your mind out of your gutter!" Keith rolled his eyes.

"No way, Keith! It's about freaking time too."

"Lance, I was waiting for the right woman. You, on the other hand, were waiting for any woman," Keith teased. "And, what are you doing in that uniform?"

"Nanny's orders. This is a semi-formal celebration dinner. Uniforms vill be vorn," Lance mimicked Nanny.

Keith groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "I hate those damn uniforms."

"I'll distract Nanny so Princess can slip back into her room and change."

"Thanks, Lance," Keith smiled at his oldest friend.

Lance saluted and left the room. Keith sat up. "I guess we'd better both get dressed."

"May I borrow a tee-shirt form you? Mine's in pieces," Allura held up the scraps of her pink shirt. "And where is my bra?"

"I don't know," Keith looked around, turning his back to Allura while he searched.

"Oh, Keith," Allura ran her hand over his exposed back. "Where did you get that tattoo?" She asked. Across the top of Keith's back rested a winged, black lion. "It's based on the lion statue isn't it?"

"Yeah. I loved that statue when I first saw it after crashing landing on Arus. I got it, oh I don't know, maybe a month after arriving here," Keith smiled. "Dr. Gorma did a good job stitching up my shoulder injury. He didn't mess up the pattern at all."

Allura kissed the lion. "I'm glad he saved your tattoo, but I'm even gladder that he saved your life."

"Me too," Keith hugged Allura. "Well, we'd better get dressed for dinner." Keith stood up and pulled out a red tee-shirt that said "Friends help you move. Real friends help you move bodies" and handed it to Allura.

Allura laughed at the tee-shirt. "Where did you get this?" She pulled the shirt over her head.

"A novelty tee-shirt company on Earth. They make really great quality tee-shirts," Keith turned around. "You look cute in my shirt."

"I think I'll keep it," Allura grinned. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed Keith's cheek. "I'll see you at dinner."

"Bye, Princess," Keith hugged her. "I'd like to escort you to dinner, since this is semi-formal."

"Thank you, Captain Kogane. I should be ready in an hour," Allura said formally, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

"I'll be waiting," Keith bowed.

An hour later, Keith and Allura walked into the dining room. Keith escorted Allura to her chair at the head of the table and held out the chair. "After you, Your Highness," Keith said.

"Thank you," Allura sat down on the chair. Keith scooted it for her. Keith sat down next to her on her right, his normal place.

Servants brought out platters of steaming food and laid them in the center of the table. Coran tapped his glass to get the attention of all the diners. Coran stood up and cleared his throat. "We have a lot to celebrate today. Three new citizens, a promotion and an engagement. First of all, congratulations to Pidge. Keith, you have something to give Pidge, am I correct?"

Keith nodded and took the slim black case out of his uniform's pocket. "Pidge, here are your Lieutenant's bars," He took out the bars and pinned them onto Pidge's uniform. "Becoming a Lieutenant means more responsibility. But I know you can handle it, Pidge," Keith saluted Pidge. Pidge saluted back.

"Thank you, Captain," Pidge grinned. Pidge scurried back to his seat.

As soon as Keith and Pidge sat back down, Coran continued "And, today we have three new citizens of Arus. Keith, Lance, Hunk, Arus is now your home. I wish you all peace and prosperity here." Keith, Lance and Hunk nodded their heads in thanks. "And also, we are here to celebrate the engagement of Keith and Allura," Coran raised his glass. The Voltron Force raised their glasses. The glasses clinked together. The Voltron Force sat their glasses down and the servants started piling food on their plates.

"Cookie is the best," Hunk said with his mouth full of food.

"That's why you date her," Pidge teased his friend.

"What's for dessert?" Lance asked.

"Let's eat what's on our plate before thinking about dessert," Keith laughed.

Suddenly, the alarms went off. The Voltron Force slammed down their silverware and jumped to their feet. They ran to the Control Room. Keith flicked on the long range radar. "Five coffin ships heading towards the planet, four small, one huge one! Let's get into the Lions now!" Keith ordered. He pushed the button to activate the elevators and jumped down as the platform rose up. The Voltron Force jumped onto the t-bars and rode the elevators down to the cars that would take them to the Lions.

The Lions launched immediately and met up. "*Ready to form Voltron,*" Keith ordered over the intercom.

"*Ready!*" The rest of the Force echoed over their intercoms.

Keith took a deep breath. The feeling that he had before was back in full force. "*Active interlocks. Dinotherms connected. Infracells up. Mega thrusters are go!*"

"*LET'S GO VOLTRON FORCE!*"


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

The five lions sped up and started their transformation, connecting to the Black Lion. "*Form Feet and Legs,*" Keith directed. "*Form Arms and Body. And I'll form the Head.*" As soon as Voltron assembled, Keith ordered "*Form Blazing Sword!*"

The Blazing Sword shimmered into existence.

"*Get those coffin ships!" Keith yelled. Voltron flew up into the upper reaches of Arus' atmosphere. "*Slice through them before they open up!*" Keith commanded. The Blazing Sword sliced through three of smaller coffin ships. Explosions rained over the clouds of Arus. The last two ships opened up as soon as they hit the atmosphere. Two robeasts broke out of the coffins, shattering the ships. The two robeats circled Voltron.

"*We can handle two robeasts,*" Hunk bragged.

"*Don't get cocky Hunk, that one robeast is bigger than Voltron,*" Lance said.

The two robeasts circled Voltron, slashing out with claws. Voltron dodged all them yet remained unable to get a good strike in. "*Eye Beams!*" Keith yelled over the intercom. "*Blind the big robeast!*" Laser beams shot out of Voltron's eyes and blinded the large robeast. The robeast swiped a massive paw and knocked the Blazing Sword out of the grasp of the Red Lion.

"*Damn!*" Lance swore.

Voltron dived and caught the Sword before it hit the ground. The Voltron Force did not see the smaller robeast coming up behind them with a massive claw deployed. The smaller robeast stabbed the claw into the back of Voltron's head where Keith sat. Keith screamed as pain seared through his body.

"*KEITH!*" Lance yelled into the intercom.

"*L..lance, ta..ke o..ver,*" Keith struggled to move his hand and push a button on the dash board, transferring control of Voltron to the Red Lion. As soon as he transferred command, Keith passed out, blood leaking out over his red and white space suit.

"*Right, Keith,*" Lance nodded his head. Lance directed Voltron to spin around and slice the smaller robeast, a claw beast that stood no higher than the Green Lion, in half. The explosion rocked Voltron backwards, allowing the robot to avoid a potentially fatal slash from the large robeast.

Allura repeatedly attempted to raise Keith on the Lions' communication systems. "*Lance, he's not answering. We have to defeat this thing quick!*"

"*We're getting there, Princess,*" Lance hissed as he directed the Blazing Sword to stab the robeast in the stomach. The robeast doubled over. "*Pidge, pull the sword up!*" Lance ordered. Pidge gritted his teeth and with Lance, forced the Sword to slice upwards, bisecting the robeast from the stomach up. The robeast roared in pain as the explosions consumed it.

"*How are we going to get Keith out of his Lion? If we disengage, the Black Lion will crash,*" Hunk said.

"*We're going to lay down and disengage from the ground. That way, Black Lion won't have space to crash. Coran,*" Lance called to the Control Room. "*We need a trauma team on immediate stand by.*"

"*Dr. Gorma is also ready in the hospital wing,*" Coran said.

"*Thanks. Okay Team, let's lay down,*" Lance ordered. Slowly, Voltron laid face down, arms spread out. "*Disengage!*"

The five Voltron Lions broke apart. Black Lion collapsed to the ground. Allura jumped out of the Blue Lion and ran over to Black Lion. She cried out when she saw the massive gash in the back of Black Lion's head. "Oh, god, Keith!" She dashed into Black Lion through the open mouth. "KEITH!" Allura screamed when she saw Keith's limp body and his blood staining the interior of the Lion's head. "Oh God!"

"Don't move him, Princess!" Hunk jump down through the gash carrying a first aid kit. Hunk knelt beside Keith and felt for a pulse. "He's still alive," Hunk said. Suddenly, Keith's pulse faded away. "Dammit!" Hunk eased Keith out of the seat and laid him on the floor. He started pounding on Keith's chest. "Princess, when I tell you to, give Keith breaths of air!"

"Right!" Allura knelt by Keith's head and tilted it back.

"Okay, breathe!" Hunk ordered.

Allura took in a deep breath of air and forced the air into Keith's mouth. His chest rose and fell. Allura gave two more breaths. Hunk started pushing on Keith's chest again. "C'mon, Captain, don't leave us," Hunk pleaded.

The trauma team ran into Black Lion, carrying kits and a back board. "How long has he been down?" The team leader asked.

"About two minutes," Hunk answered, surrendering his place to the first responder.

"Okay, bag him!" The team leader ordered. A second first responder passed a tube down Keith's throat and started pushing air into Keith's lungs. The team leader pulled out a set of paddles hooked up to a difibulator. He cut off the top of Keith's space suit. He squirted gel on the paddles. "Charging! Clear!" The team leader shocked Keith. Keith's body jerked then was still again. "Again, clear!" Again, the team leader shocked Keith.

Allura sobbed and buried her face into Hunk's massive chest. "Please, oh please don't leave me, Keith," She prayed.

"He won't leave you, Princess," Hunk promised. "Keith's strong and he loves you."

"We have a pulse!" The team leader announced. "Okay, wrap and run!" He ordered.

The first responders secured Keith to a back board and carried him out of Black Lion. They carefully lowered him onto a cart and dashed back into the Castle of Lions.

Slowly, Allura and Hunk walked out of Black Lion. "How…how is he?" Lance asked.

"He's alive. It was dicey for a bit," Hunk answered. "But he's alive."

"God, what a nightmare," Lance closed his eyes.

"Where did all that blood come from?" Pidge asked, pointing to the blood stained space suits.

"It's Keith's," Hunk said. "The inside of the Black Lion is just covered in it."

"Oh no," Lance whispered fearfully.

"Princess, Dr. Gorma just called and said that he's taking Keith into surgery," Coran put down his radio. "If you wish, you can change then wait in the surgical waiting room for news."

"We'll head straight over to the waiting room," Allura said.

"Princess, you're covered in blood. There won't be news for a few hours. Take the time to clean up. I'm sure when Keith comes out of surgery, he wouldn't want to see you covered in gore," Coran said, his voice calm. "Please, everyone. I promise I will contact you if there is any news before you get to the room."

"Thank you, Coran," Allura bit her lip so she would not cry.

Coran patted her shoulder then winced at the blood that now coated his hand. "Now, go, child."

Allura, followed by the rest of the Voltron Force, ran into the castle. She paused at Keith's bedroom door. Had it only been such a short time ago that they were making love in this very room? Allura palmed the door open and stepped inside. She could smell Keith's spicy cologne hanging in the air. She touched the bed and sobbed. "Oh, Keith, please be okay," She prayed.

In the surgical waiting room, the hours passed slowly. Lance curled up in the corner, fighting off tears. Hunk paced back and forth across the room. Pidge tried to comfort Allura. Nanny and Cookie brought up a huge cart of food that remained untouched. "Please, Princess, eat something," Nanny begged. "You will do Keith no good if you pass out."

"Hunk, sweetie, stop pacing and eat. I made your favorite: triple chocolate brownies with extra frosting," Cookie, a small, slightly plump woman hugged Hunk.

"I'm sorry, Cookie," Hunk sighed. "If I eat right now, I think I'll be sick. What's taking so damn long?"

"Keith was in surgery a long time the last time too," Lance mumbled, rocking.

"What?" Allura looked over at Lance. "When was Keith in surgery for a long time?"

"When we were six-years-old," Lance answered. "Keith got hurt bad in the same accident that killed his parents."

"How bad?" Pidge asked.

"It took him over a year to learn to walk again," Lance looked up. "And, that was after surgery after surgery to try and repair his back." Lance looked back down. "He still needs a brace, an internal one, on his spine. He had to get it replaced several times as he grew."

"Explains all the scars on his lower back," Allura commented.

"How in the world would you know what Captain Keith's lower back looks like?" Nanny demanded.

"Nanny, now is not the time!" Allura snapped.

"Everyone, please calm down. We are all worried about Captain Keith. Fighting will not make things move faster," Coran, ever the peacemaker, held up his hands. "Now, why don't we at least try to eat something."

The Voltron Force accepted food from the cart, but they picked at it. Hunk managed a few bites of his brownie.

"Coran, is there any way you can find out something?" Allura asked her old advisor.

"I'm sorry, Princess, but that would disturb Dr. Gorma while he's trying to save Keith."

"This waiting… There was so much blood," Allura sobbed. "His… his heart stopped when we got there."

"He came back though," Hunk said, putting an arm around her. "And you helped to save him. You did good, you didn't panic."

Allura managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Hunk."

"How long has he been in surgery?" Pidge asked.

"Five hours and twenty minutes," Lance answered with out looking up. "And thirty-two seconds."

"Oh, Goddess," Allura wept.

Three hours later, Dr. Gorma walked into the waiting room. The Voltron Force gathered around him. "Captain Keith is alive," He stated. The Voltron Force relaxed slightly. "It was touchy in spots. We lost his pulse twice, but were able to revive him. He's suffered massive damage to his spine. As soon as he's awake we can determine the severity of the damage. I'll call in an orthopedic specialist, Dr. Tamborrie of Planet Ebb. He also lost a lot of blood. We're replacing it as fast as we can. Can any of you donate in case your Captain needs it?"

"All of us can donate," Lance said.

"Even me. I'm big enough," Pidge spoke up.

"Very well, I will put your names down as donors."

"Thank you, Dr. Gorma. May we see him?" Allura asked.

Dr. Gorma nodded. "He's in ICU Room 1. And, he's in a coma. I can't tell you when or if he'll wake up. But, please, visiting him and talking to him will help. He can hear you even if he can't respond."

"Thank you again," Allura said.

The ICU was silent. Off the main nurses' station was Room 1. It was the largest of the ICU rooms and had a view of the lake that surrounded the castle. On the bed in the middle of the room rested Keith. A respirator forced air in and out of his lungs. Machines monitored his vital signs while IVs pumped blood and fluids into his veins. His skin was white as the bandages that swathed his torso. Allura sunk into the chair by his bed. "Oh, Keith," She sobbed and kissed his forehead.

"Please, Big Brother, wake up," Lance prayed. "Don't sleep like you did last time."

"How long was Keith in a coma when he was six?" Hunk asked quietly.

"Two weeks. Mom and Dad were told by the doctor to have a DNR signed. That he wasn't going to wake up. He woke up two days later," Lance said.

"Keith's tough, Lance. He'll wake up, you'll see. He just needs rest right now," Hunk patted Lance on the back, almost knocking the smaller man down.

"We're going to need some one to help us while Keith's down," Pidge spoke up.

"Contact Sven. He knows how to pilot the Blue Lion. And he can help to train my replacement," Allura looked up from Keith's still form. "I'm also trained on Black Lion, so I can fly him." While she talked, Allura held Keith's hand and stroked his hair. Keith's hair was tacky with blood. "Can some one get me some sweet water and Keith's shampoo? I want to wash his hair."

"Maybe you shouldn't move him, Princess," Hunk said. "Dr. Gorma did say that Keith's got back injuries."

"His hair has blood in it. Keith doesn't like his hair being mucky, we all know that," Allura snapped.

"Easy, Princess," Hunk put a hand on her shoulder. "We know that Keith's a little vain about his hair. But right now, it's best that he not be moved." Allura broke down crying. Hunk hugged her. "I know, you're scared. We all are. But we have to be strong for Keith. Don't worry, Princess, he'll pull through."

Lance sat in the other chair. "Come back to us, Keith, please," Lance begged, tears falling down his face. He touched Keith's hand and shivered. "He's so cold."

"It's the shock and blood loss," Pidge said.

"He needs more blankets," Lance said.

"There are warming blankets in the closet," Hunk pulled out a pale blue blanket. He tucked it over Keith's still form. "He probably doesn't feel the cold right now."

"You know, maybe if we played some music in here that would help. Lance, you what discs are Keith's favorites," Pidge suggested.

"His favorite song is on the "American Idiot" disc. He got a new disc today. TASER Tigers, I think," Lance said. "Bring those. The Tiger disc is in my room, in his care package."

"I'll get them," Pidge ran out the door. He kept running until he stopped at Keith's door. He palmed it open and looked around. "I forgot to ask which band sang "American Idiot". And, Keith organizes his discs by artist." Pidge sighed. "I guess I'll have to start at the beginning and go through the all." Slowly, Pidge worked his way through the massive music collection. "Chain Male, no… Green Day. Let's see 1,039 Slap Happy Hours… no… Oh, here it is," Pidge took the disc. "And here's one, I remember him singing a song from it while he was in Black Lion once. I'll take it too," Pidge picked up Nimrod. "Oh, here's that Eddie Izzard guy that does that Cake or Death bit that always makes Keith laugh." Pidge looked around the room. "Maybe a few books too. I don't know." Pidge's eyes landed on the Angel Doll. "I'll take that too. And the book Keith was reading, too." As he picked up the book on Keith's night stand, a pink, lacy bra fell down, followed by scraps of pink fabric. "How in the world did this get here? Keith wouldn't wear a pink bra. Keith wouldn't wear a bra at all!" Pidge stuffed the bra and scraps of cloth in his pockets.

As Pidge left Keith's room, Nanny stopped him. "Where are you going with all that stuff?"

"It's for Keith, Nanny. And I need to get Keith's new disc from Lance's room," Pidge said.

"Oh, that's a very good idea, Pidge," Nanny smiled gently at the smallest member of the Voltron Force. "When my grandmother fell into a coma during an illness, we played her favorite Gospel music for her. She remembered it when she woke up too."

"She woke up though right? And was okay?" Pidge asked hopefully.

"She did. She lived another ten years after her illness. She died when she was 104-years-old. In her sleep, peacefully."

"I hope Keith lives to be 104," Pidge sighed and went into Lance's room. He found the TASER Tiger disc and added it to his stack. He also grabbed the book that came in the box too. The books and discs slid out of Pidge's hands. "Oh bother," He sighed. He looked at the care package's box. "This will help," Pidge decided. He piled all that he gathered from Keith's room into the box and picked up the box. "There." Pidge ran back to the hospital wing. "Guys, I'm back, and I brought the stuff you asked for. And, um, Princess, I found this," Pidge held out the bra and scraps of fabric. "In Keith's room. I know they didn't belong to him."

"Oh no!" Allura turned bright red. She grabbed the bra and stuffed it into her jeans. "That is nothing, don't worry about it. And, thanks, Pidge," Allura took the box. She opened it and pulled out the new disc. "Here, we can play this first," She put the disc and turned on the player.

A deep bass guitar echoed and mixed with a harp. Drums, heavy, staccato beats, joined in. A choir sang "_Midnight Sentinels"_

A man's rich voice sang, "Moonlight spilling on your armor. Fire burning in your young breast, shining in your innocent eyes. The winds of death blowing your long hair."

"_Midnight Sentinels"_

"Standing shoulder to shoulder, awaiting your baptism of fire. Eagerly embracing the spirit of battle, molten lava flowing through your veins.

"_Midnight Sentinels"_

"Young warriors of the dark, battling an evil you can't see, on a field of bloodied rocks, frozen in the vastness of the night."

"_Midnight Sentinels"_

"Laid to rest by your peers. Black roses growing on your forgotten grave, scattered by the unforgiving winds."

"_Midnight Sentinels"_

"A new generation steps forward to take the place of the fallen ones. New lives, new blood to be spilled for a forgotten cause."

Allura turned off the disc. "Oh, how depressing! How can Keith listen to music like that?"

"Try "American Idiot." It's got his favorite song on it," Lance suggested.

Allura removed the TASER Tigers disc and put in the one Lance recommended. She pressed play and guitars roared. Billie Joe Armstrong tore into the song. "I don't want to be an American Idiot! Don't want a nation under the new mania! Can you hear the sound of hysteria? The subliminal mind fuck America!"

"Keith likes that song, but his favorite is "Wake me up when September ends." It's the eleventh song on the disc," Lance said. "That song he can listen to over and over again. It…it was the last song he heard before his parents were killed."

"Okay," Allura pushed the forward button until she hit the eleventh song.

A softer guitar played. "Summer has come and passed. The innocent can never last. Wake me up when September ends…"

"I hope he can hear it… can hear us," Pidge said, tears falling down his face.

"He can, Pidge. And he'll know how special he is to all of us," Allura squeezed Keith's hand. He didn't squeeze back.

Three days had passed since the attack on Black Lion. Lance put down the book he had been reading out loud to Keith. "Uncle Tommy's a good writer, isn't he, Keith. He's almost as good as Mickey Spillane," Lance said. Keith remained silent. "You'd better wake up soon. The Princess has already picked out her wedding dress. It was her Mother's. I haven't seen it, but from what Benjenne said, it's really pretty. From what Nanny and Coran have said, this wedding is going to be a big gala event. I know you don't like those things, but you are marrying a Princess. I called Mom and Dad. They are taking a ship to here. Hopefully, you'll be awake and back to normal when they get here. But they send their love and prayers. I'm calling them every day on the ship and giving them updates. The castle's been flooded with cards and letters for you. The people really like you, Keith. Allura said she'd read some of the letters to you when she comes to visit. We had to make her take a nap. Sven's here. The new guy should be arriving any time now."

Suddenly, an alarm went off. Lance tensed up. A nurse ran in and looked over the machines. She smiled. "Good news, Commander McCastlin. He's trying to breathe on his own. Let me get Dr. Gorma," The nurse patted Lance on the shoulder and left.

Dr. Gorma walked in. After reading the results from the machine, he also smiled. "It's time to take the Captain off the respirator."

"Let me tell the Princess and the rest of the gang. They'll want to be here." Lance clicked on his wrist communicator. "*Lance to Princess.*"

"*This is Allura, Lance, what's wrong?*"

"*Dr. Gorma is going to take Keith off the respirator.*"

"*We'll be right there!*" Allura signed off.

A few minutes later, Allura, Hunk, Pidge and Sven joined Lance in Keith's room. Dr. Gorma nodded to them then turned off the respirator. The Voltron Force held their breath as Keith's chest slowly rose and fell, unaided by the machine. Allura bent over Keith and kissed him. "Oh, Keith, I'm so proud of you. Keep up the good work."

"Does that mean Keith's going to be waking up soon?" Pidge asked hopefully.

"It means he's breathing on his own," Dr. Gorma corrected. "It might be a sign that he's waking up, but it could still take days for him to return to consciousness."

"At least it's something," Lance said and squeezed Keith's hand. "Come on, Buddy. Wake up, please?" Just then, Lance's wrist communicator beeped. "*This is Lance,*" Lance answered the page.

"*Lance, Iain MacLoch is here. He's in the Control Room,*" Coran said.

"*Okay, Coran. We'll be right there. Lance out.*" Lance looked up at his friends. "Let's go and meet the new guy."

"What about Keith?" Allura asked, still holding Keith's hand.

"Put in the Eddie Izzard disc for him. We won't be long."

Allura put the disc in and pushed play. A British voice started asking "You! Cake or Death!" Allura shook her head.

The Voltron Force said their good byes and left the room. In the Control Room, they found a tall, ginger-haired young man standing next to Coran. Iain saluted. "Lieutenant Iain MacLoch reporting for duty, Your Highness!"

Allura blinked. "We're pretty informal around here, Lieutenant MacLoch. Thank you for coming, though."

"It's an honor to be asked to try out for the Voltron Force!"

"At ease, Iain," Lance snickered. "Like the Princess said, we're informal here. I'm Lance. I'm the Commanding Officer while Keith's laid up. This is Pidge, Hunk and Sven. Sven and the Princess will be the ones training you on the Blue Lion. The Princess also is going to be piloting the Black Lion during this time."

"I understand sir, er Lance. I look forward to helping to defend Arus."

"This way to your room, Iain," Coran said. "Your space suit is waiting in there."

"Thank you, Master Coran. May I see Captain Keith?" Iain asked.

"If you want to. He's in a coma still," Lance said.

"Thank you. My old unit wanted to me to bring their regards and wishes for the Captain's recovery," Iain picked up his duffle bag and back pack.

"Is that all you have?" Pidge asked.

"No. But Master Coran said that there were servants who would deliver the rest of my things to my room," Iain said. "They took the rest of it. It's not a lot though."

"Okay. Come with me, Iain and we can drop off your stuff before going to see Keith," Lance nodded his head.

"Thank you, Commander."

"It's Lance. Say it. L-a-n-c-e."

"Lance," Iain said uncertainly.

"See, that didn't hurt," Lance slapped Iain on the back. "Here's your room," Lance palmed open the door. The servants had put away all of Iain's things. "There's your space suit, on the bed. Hope you like purple."

"It's my favorite color."

"Good. Blue's mine, even though I pilot the Red Lion. Our suit colors don't match up with our Lion colors, as you probably noticed," Lance said. A young page ran up to them.

"Lance! Lance! Here, the Princess told me to give you this," The page saluted and handed over a report.

Lance looked it over. "Oh good, the Black Lion's repaired. I'll put this in Keith's room. He'll want to view the report when he's awake," Lance commented. He crossed the hallway and palmed open Keith's room.

"Um, Lance, that's the Captain's room."

"I know, Iain. Unless the door's locked, we just go in and out of each other's rooms. Except for the Princess' room. That room, we stay out of unless it's an emergency," Lance explained. "So if you don't want people popping in, lock the door. We won't hold it against you."

"This place is so big," Iain put aside the issue of locked doors. "Do you have a map?"

"You'll get used to the place. Just ask if you get lost. This way is to the Infirmary. To give you an idea of the size of this castle, this is more than just a clinic. It's a working hospital, with an ICU."

"Wow. We had a hospital on the base, but that was a huge Air Force base," Iain looked around.

"There's a lot of people here. Not just the Voltron Force. The Queen's Guard, the King's Guard, servants, their families. There used to be ladies in waiting, the royal court. I mean, we're getting those things back now. It's just taking time. This castle can hold up to 1,000 people comfortably. There are only maybe 300 people living here right now."

"You know a lot about the castle."

"It's been my home for almost two years. And, the Princess loves to share the history of the place. Here's the Infirmary," Lance escorted Iain into the ICU. They walked into Keith's room. Lance took Keith's hand. "Hey, Keith, Iain's here. He's going to start training on the Blue Lion." Keith's hand twitched slightly. "Keith, can you hear me?"

"Captain?" Iain knelt by the bed and spoke clearly. "It's me, Iain MacLoch. I'm here to join the Force. I look forward to serving under your command, sir." Keith's hand twitched again. "Just rest, sir. Are you okay, Co..I mean, Lance?" Iain looked over at his new friend.

"I'm just worried about Keith. He's my best friend. He's like a brother to me."

"How long have you known the Captain?"

"All our lives. Our parents were best friends. And Keith and I share a birthday. He's five minutes older than me."

"It's good to have a friend like that, Lance," Iain smiled. Allura walked into the room. Iain stood up and bowed. "Your Highness."

"Please, just call me Princess, if you have to use a title, Iain," Allura shook her head. "Lance, would you mind if I sat with Keith for a while. Has there been any change?"

"His right hand twitches if you talk to him. I don't know if means he's getting closer to waking up or it's just a stimulus reaction."

"I hope it means he's going to be waking up soon," Allura stroked Keith's hair. "At least they finally washed his hair. I can't believe the orderlies let it go for so long."

"Princess, they had more important things to worry about with Keith," Lance said, evacuating his chair so Allura could sit down.

"I know, but…" Allura sighed. "I don't know why I was so upset about that."

"It's stress. The hair was something you could deal with," Iain suggested.

"You're probably right, Iain," Allura nodded her head. She kissed Keith's forehead. "Hello, Handsome," She whispered. Keith's right hand twitched again. "Please, wake up my love."

"We should go," Lance escorted Iain out of the room. "I'll show you the recreation room and the private gym. Both are for the exclusive use of the Voltron Force." Lance showed Iain the rooms and motioned for him to sit down.

"Okay. If you don't mind me asking, how did you and the Captain become Space Explorers?" Iain asked.

"He's got a name, Iain. You can call him Keith. He won't bite I promise. Just, try to pronounce his last name correctly if you're going to use it. He's touchy about that. It's Kogane. Ko-ga-neigh. Short "a" sound. So, it's better to call him Keith. Anyway, how we became Space Explorers. It's simple really. We didn't want to go to math class."

"What?" Iain laughed.

"The Space Academy sends recruiters around to all the schools in the whole world to test interested students. And, one day they came to the school Keith and I attended. We were ten-years-old, almost eleven, and hated our math teacher, Mrs. Heinz."


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

************

"Look!" Lance pointed to the message board. "The recruiters are going to be here tomorrow!"

"I can read, Lance. Wow, it will be during Mrs. Heinz's class too," Keith looked over the message.

"Let's sign up!" Lance suggested. "It'll be fun and it will get us out of class!"

"Okay!" Keith took the laser pen and put his name on the list. He offered it to Lance, who also signed up. The pair walked off to their next classes, laughing.

The next day, Keith and Lance showed up in the cafeteria after the last lunch period. "Oh wow. We're the youngest ones here," Keith looked around. Teenagers milled around the room. "Oh dear. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all."

"C'mon, Keith, you're just as smart as those teenagers!" Lance patted his best friend on the back.

"Thanks," Keith smiled. "Oh, I think we have to check in over there."

The pair walked up to a man in a Space Explorer's uniform with an e-clipboard. "Names please?" He asked, not looking up.

"Lance McCastlin."

"Keith Kogane," Keith said his last name with a Japanese accent.

"What?" The man looked up. "How do you spell that name, son?"

"K-o-g-a-n-e," Keith spelled it.

"Oh, you mean Kogain," The Space Explorer checked off a box.

"No, sir, it's not pronounced like that," Keith corrected the Explorer.

"It's okay, Keith, really, just let it go," Lance tried to tug his friend away.

"But, it's not my name!" Keith's face turned red.

"Oh man. Hey, Mister, he's real sensitive about his name. It's Ko-ga-neigh," Lance said.

"Okay. I'm sorry, son, for mangling your name," The man ruffled Keith's hair. Keith scowled.

"Oh, and sir, don't mess with his hair either."

The Space Explorer roared with laughter and pointed the boys to their seats. Another Space Explorer, a woman, handed them a packet of papers and a pen emblazoned with the Saturn logo of the Space Academy. Once everyone was signed in and seated, the woman cleared her throat. Everyone looked up at her. "Now, everyone turn over their papers and you may begin. You have one hour to complete these exams."

Everyone turned over their papers and started writing. Half way through the exam, Keith turned his papers over and put down his pen. The female Space Explorer walked over. "Do you need help?"

"No, I'm done, Ma'am," Keith said.

"Do you want to check over your answers?"

"No, Ma'am. May I get a drink of water?"

"I'm sorry, Keith, was it? But you have to wait for everyone else to be finished and the tests collected before you can move around."

"Okay," Keith put his head down. The female Space Explorer smiled at him.

Thirty minutes later, the male Space Explorer clapped his hands. "Put your pens down and turn your papers over." Everyone else sighed with relief and turned over their papers. "As soon as all the papers are collected, you may move around and talk if you wish. Oh, and you may keep the pens."

"Sweet!" Lance exclaimed. The teenagers in the room laughed at Lance.

As soon as the papers were safe in the hands of the Space Explorers, the students stood up, stretched and started talking. "Well, Keith, what did you think?" Lance asked his best friend.

"It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be," Keith confessed.

"Yeah, it was hard, but not horrible," Lance agreed.

"Hey, baby," A large teenage boy sneered and pushed Keith from behind. "You can't be a Space Explorer. Only real men can be one."

"Andrew, back off," Keith spun around and growled. Lance groaned softly.

"What are you going to do, baby, cry for your mommy? Oh that's right, your mommy's dead! You don't have anyone!"

"Don't talk about my mother!" Keith hissed.

"What are you going to do about it, baby?" Andrew pushed Keith hard enough to send him back over a chair. Andrew laughed. Keith jumped back up to his feet. "You're just a worthless baby!" Andrew grabbed Keith and wrapped an arm around Keith's neck, hoisting him into the air. Andrew squeezed, trying to make Keith pass out. Keith went limp, using his dead weight to pull Andrew down with him. As soon as Keith felt the arm loosen around his neck, Keith spun around and slammed his fist into Andrew's solar plexus. Andrew doubled over, gasping for air. Keith landed a round house punch to Andrew's square jaw. Andrew collapsed to the ground.

"Okay, break it up!" The male Space Explorer stood in between Keith and Andrew. Keith's black eyes still glowed with intense anger. His body was taut, ready to strike again.

Lance sighed and joined the Space Explorer. "Let me handle Keith, sir, I'm used to handling his moods."

"Be careful, child. He's still in fight or flight mode," The male Space Explorer warned Lance.

Lance carefully walked up to Keith, keeping his hands in full view. As soon as he was close, Lance leaned over and whispered in Keith's ear "You! Cake or Death!" in a bad British accent. A grin broke across Keith's face and he laughed. Lance smirked. "Works every time."

"How did you do that? What did you say?" The female Space Explorer asked.

"I've known Keith all my life," Lance shrugged. "So I know how to handle his moods. As for what I said, anything by Eddie Izzard works. Cake or Death is the best, but anything like "Don't put jam on magnets" works."

"Good thing to know. Well, looks like you two are a package deal," The female Space Explorer smiled. "I hope you did well on your exams."

"Me too."

************

"How did you two do on your exams, sir?" Iain asked. He stood up and picked up a pot of fresh brewed coffee and poured two cups.

"Thank you," Lance accepted his cup. "Well the next day, Keith and I got called the principal's office…"

***********

"Will Keith Kogane and Lance McCastlin please come to the office," The secretary's voice echoed over the PA system.

Keith and Lance shared a worried glance. "What do you think we did?" Lance asked.

"I don't think we did anything, well you didn't. It could be about that fight I had with Andrew," Keith frowned. "But why would you get called to the office if it's about the fight."

"I don't know. We'd better find out," Lance sighed. The boys walked out of class. Once at the main office, the boys glanced in and saw Charli and Caleb sitting and talking with the two Space Explorers. "Huh, did we do that bad on those tests?"

"I guess we did," Keith said. "Let's go in and get it over with." Keith pushed in the door. "Uncle Caleb, Aunt Charli?"

"Keith, Lance, come in," Charli smiled at the boys.

"Mom, Dad, what's going on?" Lance asked.

"Colonel Masters will explain it," Caleb said, motioning towards the male Space Explorer.

"I guess we did pretty bad on those tests, huh?" Keith said.

"Bad, my boy, where did you get that idea?" Masters asked, confused. He handed Lance and Keith their tests from the day before. "Look at those and see if you can guess why we're here."

Keith looked at his paper. "Holy Cheezits!" He exclaimed. "This can't be right…" Keith held up a paper with a computer printed score of one-hundred percent.

"Hey, wow, I got seventy-five percent!" Lance held up his paper.

"That's correct. We checked them over and over again. The number needed to get into the Space Academy is sixty percent. You two boys are the only ones who scored over that in this school."

"You mean, we can go to the Academy when we're older?" Lance asked excitedly.

"Actually, with scores like these, you can attend the Academy at the start of the next semester," Masters proclaimed. "If your parents are okay with it."

"Mom, Dad, please let us go to the Academy, please," Lance begged his parents. "Please?"

"Keith, what do you want?" Caleb asked his adopted son.

Keith looked down; thinking then he looked up. "I want to go the Academy," He stated.

"Very well. When does the next semester start?" Caleb asked.

"January 10th. Orientation is January 5th. The boys have to report no later than January 3rd," Sergeant Maxwell, the female Space Explorer, answered. "We have a few things that you as parents have to fill out. We can do that right now. We'll send you information packets in the mail as soon as these papers get turned in."

"WE'RE GOING TO THE ACADEMY!" Lance jumped up and down.

"Lance, in door voice, remember?" Charli scolded him.

"Sorry, Mom," Lance blushed. "We're going to the Academy," He whispered.

*************

"So, that's it. Keith and I went to the Academy. Keith spent his entire time there in advanced classes and was the top student in them. Me, I did pretty good, but only Pidge has come close to touching Keith's scores," Lance drank his coffee.

"Amazing," Iain looked at his cup of coffee. "I must sound so silly asking these questions about the Captain, but even on the Royal Arusian Air Force, he's known as a legend. His injury has scared a lot of us."

"It scared us too," Lance said. "We've all been hurt before, but this time…" Lance shivered. Just then, his communicator went off. "*This is Lance.*"

"*Lance, Lotor is demanding to talk with the Princess.*"

"*We'll be right over!*" Lance stood up. "Let's go, Iain. I wonder what that pointy-eared bastard wants now!"

The Voltron Force gathered in the Control Room. Lotor's large blue face dominated the main screen. "*Well, Princess, it's about time you showed up.*"

"What do you want, Lotor?" Allura demanded.

"*To have you as my bride. Join with me, and I'll even let your pathetic Voltron Captain live, as a slave, if he ever wakes up.*"

"You mother f…" Allura started to yelled.

"PRINCESS!" Nanny rebuked.

"You pointy-eared, needle-dicked piece of space scum!" Allura blasted Lotor. Everyone, including Lotor's, eyes went wide as Allura insulted Lotor's parentage, his sexual preferences, and his looks. "And, Lotor, one more thing."

Lotor blinked. "*What is that, my Princess?*"

"FUCK YOU!" Allura slammed down the microphone, disconnecting the call.

"Princess Allura Kerreigh Dilayas! I taught you to use better language than that!" Nanny yelled. She grabbed Allura by the ear. "You are in time out young lady! And, you'll get your mouth washed out with soap!"

"I need to go and be with Keith, I was sitting with him!" Allura protested.

"You should have thought of that before you used such filthy language!" Nanny dragged Allura out of the Control Room.

"I'll sit with Keith, Princess, while you're in time out," Hunk offered.

"Thank you, Hunk. Nanny, that hurts! Let go of my ear!" The Voltron Force could hear Allura's yelps fading away.

"Is it wrong, sir, that I want to laugh?" Iain asked Lance.

"No," Lance laughed. "This isn't the first time we've laughed at the Princess. And we needed the laugh," Lance motioned to Hunk, Sven and Pidge, who were snickering.

"Well, I'll go and sit with Keith," Hunk smirked. "Welcome to the mad house, Iain," Hunk shook hands with Iain.

An hour later, Allura stormed into Keith's room and plopped into the chair, recently vacated by Hunk. A soapy residue still hung on her lips. "I can't believe Nanny held that soap in my mouth for almost thirty minutes! All because I used one bad word."

"Well the word you used was a pretty bad one, Princess," Hunk pointed out. "Where did you learn that one anyways? It's not native to Arus."

"I heard you boys using it," Allura admitted. "I've learned a lot of swear words listening to you work on the Lions, Hunk."

Hunk slapped his hand against his forehead. "Okay, next time I will make sure that there are no little pink ears around when I'm working."

Allura picked up the "American Idiot" disc. "Hunk, what's a faggot?" She asked suddenly.

Hunk's mouth dropped open. "Where did you learn that word, Allura Kerreigh?" Hunk demanded.

"It's on this disc. We have faggots in the fire here, but I don't think that's what was being talked about in the song," Allura said.

"It's a rude slang word for a gay man, a homosexual."

"Oh."

Hunk sighed. "Keith," He turned to his unconscious Captain. "Maybe you shouldn't let Allura listen to your discs. They make her ask embarrassing questions."

"And, what's a Red Neck?"

"That's slang for some one from the Southern United States of America. On Earth. Look, Lance has a disc by a man named Jeff Foxworthy. Listen to that, it'll explain things."

"Okay, Hunk, thank you," Allura settled into the chair.

"You know, sometimes we all forget that you're not from Earth, Princess."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is one. It means you fit in with the Voltron Force pretty damn well," Hunk gave her a quick, one-arm hug. "Well I'm going to go and check over the Black Lion."

"Bye, Hunk," Allura smiled at her friend. She took Keith's hand. "Alone again, finally, Handsome." Keith remained still. "Oh, Keith, please, wake up." She kissed him. Keith's eyes rapidly moved under his lids.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

A warm summer sun shone down on the Royal Gardens. King Keith Kogane sat on a bench next to his wife, Queen Allura. He leaned his cane, his constant companion now a days, against a hedge of lavender. A cool breeze blew through his hair, now steel gray, the black a distant memory. In the sky, they could see the five Lions of Voltron zooming through a practice drill.

"Akira's a good Commander," Keith commented, wrapping his arm around Allura. Her white hair blew free from its braid.

"He's your son, Keith," Allura snuggled against him.

"Yes, he is. But he's earned the position. He'll be a good King."

"Do you think stepping down soon is a good idea?" Allura asked.

"I think so. It's not like you and I are going anywhere. We'll still be around to advise him, if he needs it, but well, I'd like to spend time with you as just a married couple, not King and Queen. After all when I was his age, I was King and Captain of Voltron."

"Now, if only he and Bobbi-Jo McCastlin would finally set a date to get married," Allura rolled her eyes. "Where he got this shyness from, I don't know."

"Oh, I don't know, Ally-girl. It took me a year to admit that I loved you. Ask Lance. He loves to tell stories of our late night talks. Exaggerated and false stories of our late night talks."

"That's Lance for you. He'll never change," Allura agreed. "You know, the children are talking about going to ask Tony to do Lion tattoos on them. Akira and Meyong inherited your love of ink."

"Hey, it was your idea to get the Lion tattoos. Besides, it's tradition."

"But they don't understand your love of body piercing."

"I don't understand it either. I just like it," Keith shrugged.

"You do. You know, Love, I was thinking. I love the Castle of Lions, don't get me wrong, but well, I kind of wish we had our own little place."

"Like a little cabin somewhere?"

"Even on Castle grounds, just a place we can escape to," Allura rested her head on Keith's shoulder.

"Maybe a little cottage behind the Star Rose garden. There's plenty of space and there are the woods behind it," Keith suggested.

"Oh, Keith, it sounds lovely. We should ask Lance to design us a cottage. He'd do a wonderful job on it."

"Yeah. Our own little place. I like the idea of that, Allura," Keith kissed her.

Suddenly, two little raven-haired children yelled and pounced on them. "Alfor, Kerreigh!" Keith laughed and scooped up the children.

"Grammy, Pap-pap, the wions are done fwying." Little Alfor said.

"I see that. And, weren't you two supposed to be with your Nanny, studying?" Allura asked her grandchildren.

"We swippeded away," Alfor confided in her.

"Prince Alfor! Princess Kerreigh! Oh, you two will be the death of me!" Nanny, the niece of Allura's own Nanny, scolded. "I'm sorry, Your Highnesses. They snuck away from me."

"That's okay, Nanny," Keith laughed.

"My dear Aunt Ursula would always tell me stories of the times you snuck away from her, Your Majesty," Nanny smiled.

"She claimed that I caused all of her gray hair," Allura giggled.

Crown Prince Akira Kogane and his twin sister, Princess Meyong Garrett, approached their parents. The twins had Keith's black hair and Allura's brilliant blue eyes. "What did you think, Pappa-San?" Akira asked.

"Pretty good, Son," Keith smiled at his oldest child.

"Thanks, Pappa-San." Akira looked at his father. "Pappa-San, it's time to go back."

"Go back?"

"Akira's right, Pappa-San. You need to go back," Meyong hugged her father.

"Let's go, Love," Allura stood up and offered Keith her hand. Keith put down his grandchildren and took Allura's hand. "The children are right, it's time to go home."

Confused, Keith stood up. "Where do I have to go?"

"Home," Allura said.

Suddenly, the sun became unbearably bright. The light engulfed Keith. "Don't fight it, Love. It's time to go back," Allura's voice echoed in the light.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Keith? Keith?" Allura called out. Keith's eyes fluttered opened. He grimaced. And his eyes started to close again. "Keith, keep your eyes open. Look at me."

Keith looked up at Allura. "Al…lura," He managed to croak out.

Allura hugged him. "Oh, my heart. Welcome back." Weakly, Keith hugged her back. "Oh, Love, you scared us all so much."

"S..sorry about that," Keith managed a weak grin. Keith turned his head towards the window. Through the thick glass, Keith could hear the Black Lion's mighty roar. *I'm back, old buddy,* Keith thought. The Black Lion roared once more then fell silent.

"It's okay," Allura wiped her eyes. She clicked on her wrist communicator. "*Guys, this is Allura. Keith's awake!*" She announced.

"*Alright!*" Lance yelled. "*We'll be right there!*"

Allura stroked Keith's hair. "Hey there, Sweetie, I have to get the doctor. Stay awake okay?"

"Okay."

Allura went to the door and signaled for the nurse. The nurse walked over. "What's wrong, Your Highness?"

"Captain Kogane is awake," Allura smiled.

"I'll alert Dr. Gorma."

"Thank you," Allura shook hands with the nurse then rejoined Keith. Allura sat back down and took Keith's hand again. "Dr. Gorma's coming to check you over, Love." Keith smiled at her.

Lance, followed by the rest of the Voltron Force, ran into the room. "Keith?" Lance said, looking at his best friend. "It's about time!" Lance dashed forward and hugged Keith. Keith hugged him back, wincing at the jarring his spine took.

Hunk, Pidge and Sven also took their turns hugging their Captain. Iain stood back. Finally, he approached with his hand out. Keith gripped Iain's hand. "Hello, Captain. I'm Iain MacLoch."

"Hello, Iain. Welcome aboard. Sorry I wasn't there to greet you."

"That's okay, Captain. Commander McCastlin has been showing me around."

"Iain, it's Lance, remember?" Lance shook his head.

"I'm sorry, sir."

Keith laughed. "It's okay, Iain, really. We don't stand much on titles here," Keith said.

"I'm sorry, sir. It's a force of habit."

"That's okay. How long was I out?" Keith asked.

"This is the fourth day," Allura said.

"What happened to me?" Keith asked.

"What do you remember?" Lance sat down in the second chair.

"Eating dinner then the alarms going off. The rest is a blank," Keith frowned.

"You got hurt bad, Keith," Lance squeezed his best friend's hand.

"We lost you once in the Black Lion," Hunk closed his eyes and shivered. "You…died right as the Princess and I got to you."

"I died?" Keith looked at his friends. "I'm sorry I scared you. I don't remember any of this."

"You were unconscious, Keith. But, you're awake now, that's all that's important," Hunk ruffled Keith's hair. Keith scowled at his friend.

Behind the Voltron Force, Dr. Gorma cleared his throat. "Excuse me, but I must examine Captain Keith." The Voltron Force backed away, except for Lance and Allura. Dr. Gorma ran a scanner over Keith then checked read outs from the various machines still hooked up to him. "Well, Captain, how do you feel?"

"My back hurts pretty bad," Keith admitted.

"I'll give you something that will take the edge off the pain, but shouldn't knock you out," Dr. Gorma wrote down information in Keith's chart. "Captain, you suffered massive trauma to your spine."

"Oh, God, not again," Keith whimpered. Allura stroked Keith's hair to calm him down.

"I am going to call in a specialist, a Dr. Tamborrie of Planet Ebb. I've been consulting with him about your case. He's the best orthopedic surgeon in the Denubian Galaxy. Now that you are awake, there are some tests that need to be run to determine the total extent of damage," Dr. Gorma said. A nurse came in with a filled syringe. Dr. Gorma injected the contents into Keith's IV port. "There, this will take the edge off. It takes maybe five minutes for it to work."

"Thank you, Doctor. What kind of tests am I facing?"

"Mainly PET and MRI scans. We have to see what's going on inside your spinal cord before we figure out what we do to fix it. You must be careful moving about once you're allowed out of bed. You do not have the brace on your spine anymore. It was badly damaged in the attack. So, you will be confined to a wheelchair until Dr. Tamborrie and myself clear you."

Keith curled up the best he could and wept. "Not again. Not again," He whispered.

"Keith, it's okay. It's going to be okay. It won't take a year this time," Lance hugged his friend. "Right, Doctor?"

"Your friend is correct, Captain. You are looking at two maybe three months, tops. And, not surgery after surgery either. That's not how Dr. Tamborrie operates. Now, we can have you moved into a private room since you are awake."

"Fine," Keith sighed, his eyes dull.

"Keith, you need anything?" Allura asked as Dr. Gorma unhooked the machines so Keith could be moved to a new room. Keith shook his head then winced. Even his neck hurt him.

Two orderlies came into the room. "Room 12 is ready, Doctor," The first orderly, a tall, burly blonde haired man said.

"Thank you, Paul. You and Ron may wheel Captain Keith to his new room."

"Okay, sir," Paul nodded his head.

"We'll get your things, Keith and bring them to your new room," Hunk said.

"Thanks, Hunk."

The Voltron Force gathered up the books and discs. Allura picked up the angel doll. "We can't forget you," She said to the doll.

Room 12's windows looked out over the rolling hills of Altaer. The afternoon sun shone through the windows, lighting up the room. Ron and Paul wheeled Keith into the room and set up the bed so that Keith could look out the big bay window from his bed. Dr. Gorma rehooked up the machines so Keith's vital signs could still be monitored. "How long will I be kept here?" Keith asked.

"A week, maybe less. We'll see how you heal up," Dr. Gorma patted Keith on the shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

The Voltron Force walked into Keith's new room. Allura put the Angel Doll next to Keith. "She sat beside you while you were…asleep," Allura said.

"Thank you, Allura," Keith smiled at her.

"Oh, good, there's a video phone here!" Lance grabbed the phone. "I need to call Mom and Dad. They're flying in from Earth."

"From Earth? Lance, it's going to take them two weeks to get here."

"Well, as soon as you got hurt, they got in a ship. I didn't tell them about your engagement. I figured you and Allura would want to be the ones to tell them," Lance picked up the vid phone and dialed. "Mom, Dad?"

"*Lance, sweetie, how are you doing?*" Charli asked.

"Some one wants to talk to you," Lance handed over the vid phone.

"Hi, Aunt Charli," Keith smiled at his aunt.

"*Keith? Oh, my God, Keith! Oh, baby, when did you wake up?*"

"An hour ago."

"*How are you feeling?*"

"I'm okay. Oh, Aunt Charli, I have some news for you," Keith used his free hand to squeeze Allura's.

"*What is it, Keith?*" Charli motioned for Caleb to join her.

"I'm getting married."

"*What? Oh my God, who is the lucky girl?*" Charli asked.

"Princess Allura," Keith smiled.

"*Oh, you mention her in all your letters home. Is she there?*"

"Here, Allura, Aunt Charli wants to talk to you," Keith handed over the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. McCastlin," Allura took the phone.

"*Oh, you're just as pretty as Keith said you were. Please, dear, call me Aunt Charli. You're practically family now,*" Charli cooed at Allura.

"Thank you, Aunt Charli."

"*When's the wedding going to be?*"

"Whenever Keith's back on his feet. But we will also wait for you and your husband to be here, since you're Keith's family."

"*Thank you, sweetheart. You got a good man in Keith, but I think you know that.*"

Allura smiled down at Keith. "I got the best," She agreed.

"*You did. Of course, my boy, Lance is pretty special too,*" Charli smiled.

"Mom!" Lance shook his head.

"*Well, it looks like I'm going to be a great-aunt before the year is out. I want to be a grandmother too.*"

"Mom, Benjenne and I are not ready for children yet. We're not even engaged."

"*Well, I can't wait to meet her, and things can change in the two weeks it's taking for us to get there,*" Charli smiled at her only son.

"Mom!" Lance's eyes went wide. "I'm only 22."

"So, I'm 22 and I'm ready to get married," Keith pointed out, chuckling.

"Yeah, well, you're older than me," Lance stammered.

"By five minutes."

Iain, Sven, Pidge, Hunk and Allura laughed at Lance's red face. Charli giggled. She looked over at Keith and saw the exhaustion written on his face. "*Children, I think we should let Keith get some sleep. Lance, can you transfer me to Keith's doctor?*"

"Sure, Mom, hang on," Lance pushed a button on the video phone. "*Dr. Gorma, my mom, Keith's aunt, wants to talk with you.*"

"*Thank you, Commander,*" Dr. Gorma said through the intercom.

Keith yawned. "Sorry, guys. You think I'd be more awake after being asleep for four days," Keith rubbed his eyes.

"Your body suffered a major trauma, Captain," Iain spoke up.

"Iain's right, Keith," Lance agreed.

"Thanks," Keith's eyes started to drift closed. "Lance, c'n you put "Wake me up when September ends" on repeat for me?" He asked.

"S…sure, Keith," Lance set up the disc in the player.

Softly, Billie Joe Armstrong sang "Summer has come and passed. The innocent can never last. Wake me up when September ends. Like my father come to pass. Seven years has gone so fast. Wake me up when September ends…"

Allura kissed Keith then left with the Voltron Force following her. Out in the hallway, Lance leaned against the wall and sighed. "What's wrong, Lance?" Allura asked.

"Keith's depressed. Really depressed."

"He seemed pretty chipper to me," Hunk disagreed. "How can you tell?"

"He asked for THAT damn song to be played," Lance gritted his teeth.

"What's wrong with that song? Why do you call it "that song"?" Allura asked, confused.

"That was the last song Keith heard on the radio before the car accident. He doesn't remember the crash itself. But he remembers that song playing. And, once he was allowed to come home with Mom and Dad, he played that song constantly. It drove me crazy. Dad went and bought us pillow speakers so we could listen to our own music with out bothering each other."

"Why does that song mean Keith's depressed?"

"Because when he's depressed, "Wake me up when September ends" goes on repeat. For him, it brings him back to a time when his parents were alive and he…he wasn't in chronic pain."

"Keith's in constant pain? You'd never know to look at him," Pidge commented.

"Hey, you try having a massive injury to your back! Try needing a brace on your spine just so you can walk and see how much pain you're in!" Lance snapped.

"Take it easy, Lance!" Hunk stood in between Lance and Pidge. "What Pidge means is; you'd never figure Keith was in pain. He hides it really well. I bet your parents don't know about it."

"They don't. I shouldn't have even told you guys. Keith made me swear to keep it secret when we were kids."

"How did he get through military training?"

"By his sheer force of stubborn will," Lance laughed bitterly. "He proved that the brace wouldn't slow him down. He proved it by being the top in everything. That's Keith. He's got to be the best. It's like an obsession for him," Lance looked up at his friends. "Because if he's the best, he can't get hurt."

In his office, Dr. Gorma faced two vid phone screens. One held a bald, dark-skinned man. The other screen held the McCastlins. "*Dr. Gorma, we have assurances from the upper echelon of Galaxy Garrison that they will support this. Their top medical people have looked over the plan and agreed with it,*" Caleb McCastlin said.

"*Also, we need Voltron. We need Voltron with the Captain in charge. That's the only way to defeat Zarkon. And, with the Captain as King of Arus, even better,*" Charli McCastlin added. "*This will bind Arus and the Alliance even tighter.*"

"*Will the Captain go for this surgery, though? From what I've read, he's a stubborn man,*" Dr. Tamborrie pointed out.

"It gives him a chance to live with out pain and rejoin his team mates. He'll go for it," Dr. Gorma said. "It's just a matter of how much we're going to tell him and the rest of the Voltron Force. There are no secrets with that team. Also who must be in on it. The nanny, Ursula Von Brown, is out of the loop. She can't keep a secret to save her own soul. Also she'd fuss over the implications of this surgery. Coran Connors, however, should be involved in this. He's the Princess' advisor and Minister of Affairs. He needs to know."

"*The only problem I see with getting the Captain to agree to this surgery is that he has a natural distrust of surgeons and surgery,*" Caleb stated. "*It stems from his childhood, after his parents' murder, the Captain had to have several surgeries and he fought against each one. Be prepared to have to do the surgery with out his consent. Even if it means sedating him in his room. But also, be prepared for back lash from the rest of the Voltron Force. They are loyal to the Captain. Not just my son, but all of them.*"

"*Then we must convince the Captain that the surgery is the correct and only path to take. Dr. Gorma and I will be doing that when I arrive on Arus in two days. I was hoping that Dr. Tumbletea would be able to make it for the consult, but he's still a week out on the star cruiser *Bright Wing*,*" Dr. Tamborrie said. "*I did talk with him. He can't get a secure line on the *Bright Wing* so, he said he'll get caught up once he arrives on Arus.*"

"He called me also. Tumbletea's appearance will raise suspicions, though. The head of the Galaxy Garrison Medical Corp doing surgery on a Captain is unusual enough, but the fact that he jumped on the first Star Cruiser he could get and came all the way across the galaxy to do so is even stranger. We have to be careful."

"*I agree, Dr. Gorma. With the Captain down, Zarkon will try to attack. The loss of five robeats was a blow to him. It takes time to make those monsters. Also, we will have to be on alert during the wedding. There will be a lot of heads of state and other dignitaries there. Security is going to be a nightmare,*" Charli said.

"*General Winnelli has pulled off all the operatives he could and assigned them as security for the wedding,*" Caleb added. "*They'll be in uniform too.*"

"That's going to be a shocker for the Captain. How will he and your son handle seeing you two in your uniforms?" Dr. Gorma chuckled.

"*There are going to be a lot of questions. Questions we can finally answer, especially for the Captain,*" Caleb said.

"Oh, one more thing. Your son said that the Captain is depressed because of his injury."

"*Let me guess, there's a certain song playing?*" Charli asked.

"Yes. There is nothing in the Captain's record about depression. Or being on medication for it."

"*He was depressed after the car crash. Given what happened, do you blame him? But, he was never medicated for it. I'd rather pill a cat then try to give the Captain medication he doesn't want to take,*" Caleb rolled his eyes.

"Hard to get him to take a pill?" Dr. Gorma asked.

"*Impossible. We tried giving him anti-depressants and he would throw them up, if we could get them into his mouth. He bit Caleb once,*" Charli smirked.

"How was his depression treated?"

"*Herbal treatments, meditation. Even T'ai Chi,*" Charli shrugged. "*The Captain is Akira's son, no doubt about that. Caleb watched Akira have fragments of metal pulled out of his leg with out anything to deaden the pain. If you got the Captain to take even mild pain killers is a miracle.*"

"He was in a good deal of pain when he woke up," Dr. Gorma said.

"*Dr. Gorma, I think we should hold off on the consult until Dr. Tumbletea arrives. He is the cybernetics expert. If we provide a united front, the Captain will listen to us,*" Dr. Tamborrie suggested.

"I think that would be a good idea. The united front is what we need. I'll see you in a few days, Tamborrie. And Commander McCastlin and Lieutenant Commander McCastlin, I'll see you both in a week."

"*Maybe in less time than that. We took the fastest ship we could find,*" Caleb said.

"Very well. Good bye and safe journey," Dr. Gorma clicked off the video phones.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In their suite aboard the *Blue Moon*, Caleb and Charli McCastlin looked out the windows at the streaking star field. "Are you ready to face Keith and Lance?" Charli asked her husband.

"It's been a long time coming. I always hated lying to the boys. But they'll understand," Caleb picked up a picture of Keith and Lance at their graduation from the Space Academy. "Akira and Meyong would be so proud of Keith."

"Very proud. Just like we are proud of both of them," Charli smiled at the picture. "I knew this day would come, but I have to admit, I'm not looking forward to answering Keith's questions. Or dealing with the boys' reaction to the fact that we lied to them all their lives. I just hope that this doesn't damage Keith's memories of his parents."

"Our boys are soldiers. They'll understand," Caleb said confidently. "As for Keith, it's time he got his inheritance," Caleb put the picture down and went over to a pair of silvery sabres laid out on the vanity. Next to the sabres rested two shadow boxes, each one held a triangularly folded American flag and an assortment of medals and campaign ribbons. "And it's time he learned the truth."

"You're right, Dear," Charli picked up another picture, one of herself, her husband and the Koganes in their uniforms, black with gray piping and black berets their heads. "I still can't believe it's been sixteen years since Akira and Meyong died. I still sometimes look across the yard and expect to see the lights on."

"I know. I know," Caleb rubbed Charli's shoulders. Charli leaned into her husband's caress. "We should go and get something to eat. It's almost dinner time."

"Okay."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As night fell across Planet Arus, Keith tossed and turned in his narrow hospital bed.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Keith gritted his teeth as Voltron dived for the Blazing Sword. The massive claw on the smaller robeast sliced through Voltron's head and into Keith. Keith screamed. "L..lance, t..ake o..ver," Keith whispered as he transferred control of Voltron to his best friend. Pain shot through Keith's body. Suddenly, the pain eased and he found himself standing behind the command chair.

"^Son, it's okay,^" Akira Kogane put his spectral hand on Keith's shoulder.

"^Pappa-san? What's wrong?^" Keith asked, confused. "^Mamma-san?^"

"^Oh, baby, you'll be okay.^"

"^I'm dead, aren't I?^" Keith looked at his own limp body.

"^No, Keith, you are not dead,^" King Alfor stepped into view, filling the cockpit of the Black Lion with blue light.

"^Your Majesty!^" Keith bowed. "^What is going on? If I'm not dead, then why I am here?^"

"^The pain from your injury caused you to leave your body. It is only temporary,^" King Alfor explained. "^And you don't have to call me Your Majesty. Father will do.^"

Keith looked out the cockpit as the robeast exploded. "^I know I'm not the prince you probably had in mind for your daughter,^" Keith admitted.

"^Son, I knew you were coming. When you are better, talk to Coran. Ask to read my journals. As future King of Arus, they belong to you. As do the journals of every King before you.^"

"^Thank you, Father,^" Keith smiled.

"Oh, God, Keith!" Allura screamed as she ran into the Black Lion.

"Damn!" Hunk swore as he felt for and lost Keith's pulse.

"^I feel strange, is this what dying feels like?^" Keith asked.

"^It's not your time yet, my son,^" King Alfor said.

Keith watched as Hunk and Allura then the first responders worked feverishly over his body. He felt disconnected as he observed his body jerk with the electricity going through him with each charge from the difibulator paddles. Suddenly, he could feel something pulling him back to his body.

"^Go back to your body, son. You'll be fine, in time,^" King Alfor said, patting Keith on the shoulder.

"^He's right, baby. Be strong,^" Meyong Kogane hugged her son.

"^We're proud of you, my boy. Don't forget that,^" Akira also hugged Keith.

Keith sighed as he felt his spirit being pulled back into his body. He did not even notice the piece of his soul that slipped away and flowed into the Power Crystal of Black Lion.

Darkness claimed Keith as he heard some one say "He's back."

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Keith sat up with a gasp then groaned with pain. In the distance he could hear the Black Lion roar once then fall silent. "What a weird dream. Did it really happen?" Soft foot steps drew his attention. Keith turned his head and saw Allura in her pink night dress. "Allura?"

Allura relaxed. "It wasn't a dream. Oh, Keith," She ran to him and hugged him. Allura sniffled.

Keith stroked Allura's hair. "Shh, it's okay."

"I thought it was a dream. I spent the past four nights dreaming that you were awake. Or worse, that you were…dead," Allura sobbed.

"I'm alive and awake," Keith soothed Allura. "No more fear okay?" Allura clung to Keith. Keith kissed the top of Allura's head. Allura yawned and rested her head on his chest. "Just get some sleep, it's been a stressful few days for you. And I'm sorry about that."

"Not your fault," Allura murmured. She sighed happily and drifted off to sleep.

In the two days since Keith awoke from his coma, Keith struggled through his recovery. Despite Dr. Gorma's advice to the contrary, Keith spent as much time as he could sitting up in his wheelchair. "You Fight" echoed from his disc player as Keith read through a book on the ancient history of the Royal Family, a book Coran lent him as part of his studies in preparation for becoming King of Arus.

"Captain Kogane?" Dr. Gorma walked into Keith's Infirmary room.

"Hello, Doctor," Keith looked up from his book. "Is something wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to tell you that Dr. Tamborrie has arrived and he would like to meet with you briefly."

"Is this for the consult?" Keith asked, putting his book down.

"No, that's been delayed. Another doctor, a Dr. Tumbletea, is coming in also. He won't be here for a week."

"I know Dr. Tumbletea. He patched me up once after a mission went south. He's a good guy, but, well, he's also head of the Medical Corps for Galaxy Garrison. Why is he consulting on my case?" Keith asked.

"We need Tumbletea's special skills on your case," Dr. Gorma hedged.

"What does that mean?" Keith demanded. "What special skills?"

"You'll find out when the good doctor gets here," Dr. Gorma shook his head.

Keith's large, black eyes narrowed. "I hate secrets," He commented, looking Dr. Gorma in the eye.

"I know you do, Captain, but things will be explained when Dr. Tumbletea gets here."

Keith gritted his teeth. "May I go to my own room while we wait for Dr. Tumbletea?"

"I'm sorry, Captain, but you need to remain here while you are recovering from your injury. Now, try to get some rest, your body needs rest to heal."

"I'd rest better in my room," Keith pointed out. "And, it would free up room in the Infirmary."

"Captain Kogane, we are not over burdened for space. If you wish, you can have a sedative so you can rest," Dr. Gorma offered.

"No, thank you."

"Captain, you do need to rest. If you won't take a sedative, will you agree to alternative herbal treatments?" Dr. Gorma haggled.

"Fine," Keith settled back into his wheelchair.

"I do not know about what Terran treatments you've used in the past, but are you willing to experiment with Arusian herbs?" Dr. Gorma asked.

"I'm willing," Keith agreed.

"Good. I need to do some research. I will call in my cousin, everyone calls her Sister Thyme. She's a trained herbalist. Will you work with her?"

"I will. I had an herbalist and Acupuncturist on Earth whom was my main doctor, if I went to one," Keith said.

"Acupuncturist?"

"Doctors who put needles in you to make your body heal itself," Keith explained. "It's a system of medicine that is over 3,000 years-old."

"I'll look into that. Thank you for agreeing to work with me."

"I'm not that bad," Keith grinned. Dr. Gorma raised his eyebrow. Keith met his gaze. "I'm really not that bad of a patient." Dr. Gorma snorted and left. Keith shrugged and winced then picked up his book again. Soon, he was lost in the history of the Royal Family of whom he'd soon join.

Two hours later, a tall, bald, thin black man strolled into Keith's room. "Hello, Captain Kogane, I am Dr. Tamborrie," Dr. Tamborrie held out his large hand.

Keith shook hands with the doctor. "Greetings, Doctor," Keith said.

"How are you doing? Any pain?" Dr. Tamborrie looked over Keith, taking in his pale face.

"Some, but not too bad as things go," Keith shook his head.

"I want to run those tests Dr. Gorma mentioned to you the day you woke up. You're not claustrophobic are you?"

"Not really," Keith hedged. "I don't like closed in spaces, but I don't have panic attacks in them."

"Very well. The tests are going to be tomorrow morning, after breakfast. As long as you feel you won't get sick in the tubes, you may eat your normal meal," Dr. Tamborrie said.

"Thank you, Doctor," Keith said.

"Once Dr. Tumbletea gets here, we'll have the consult. I'll let you go back to your book, Captain."

"Good bye," Keith nodded his head.

As soon as Dr. Tamborrie left, Coran walked in, carrying a stack of old journals. "Captain, these are the journals you requested. I found a note on the inside cover of the first one saying that they were for you."

Keith took the journals and put them on his bedside table. "You mean they were meant for the person who married Allura?" Keith asked.

"No, look inside," Coran shook his head.

Keith picked up the first journal and opened it. On the inside cover, in King Alfor's strong, fluid hand writing, was written "Keith, these journals are for you. I hope they can provide the guidance you may need as King of Arus." Stunned, Keith put the journal down. "Oh, my God. He knew. He really did know I was coming. How?"

"King Alfor was our most powerful Mystic. That is how he could build Voltron, using science and magic."

Keith looked down. "I must look so insignificant compared to Alfor. I'm just a soldier. Nothing special."

"Don't talk like that, Keith Kogane! You have different talents than King Alfor, but you are not insignificant!" Coran scolded. "You are Commander of the Voltron Force! That is not something to, as you Terrans say, sneeze at! You will be a great King, Captain. As long as I am alive, I will do all I can to aid you and the Princess if you so require."

"Thank you, Coran. I know I'm going to need it," Keith grinned.

"I'm glad I could be of assistance, Captain. Now, how much have you read in the book I lent you?"

"I'm about a third of the way through," Keith said. "How many other books do I have to read?"

"A lot. You have much to learn," Coran said with a grin.

Suddenly, the window shattered, spraying glass over Keith and Coran. Prince Lotor's personal ship filled the space where the window had been. Lotor jumped out of the ship and into the Infirmary. "So, my spy told me the truth. The great Captain Keith Kogane is now a helpless cripple!"

"I'm not helpless, Lotor," Keith growled. His dark eyes went flat.

"*Lotor's in the Infirmary!*" Coran yelled into his wrist communicator.

"Shut up, old man. This is between Keith and myself," Lotor grabbed Keith and hulled him up until the Captain's toes just barely brushed the floor. Lotor pulled Keith close. "And my spy has another story to tell. About you, a common nobody, proposing to Princess Allura!"

"Did your spy tell you she said yes?" Keith growled.

"How dare you try to steal my princess!" Lotor threw Keith against the wall. Keith slid down, shaking his head. "Allura belongs to me!" Lotor aimed a kick for Keith's ribs. Keith blocked the kick and twisted Lotor's leg, sending the Prince of Planet Doom to the ground.

Keith crawled across the glass strewn floor and grabbed Lotor by the throat. "Who is your spy, Lotor? Who did you get to betray Allura?" Keith demanded.

"I'll never tell you, peasant!" Lotor punched Keith in the gut. Keith gagged then slammed his head into Lotor's face. Keith felt the bones break in Lotor's nose. "You son of a bitch!" Lotor swore. He pushed Keith off and lashed out with his leg, catching Keith in the ribs.

"KEITH!" Allura yelled, aiming her laser pistol at the fighting pair. The rest of the Voltron Force, similarly armed, stood beside her.

"Don't worry, my Princess," Lotor leered at Allura. "I'll be finished with this commoner and we can leave together."

"You bastard!" Allura fired her gun, burning Lotor's long white hair. "Get out of here, Lotor. You're not wanted!"

"Now, now my dear, don't be so careless with that gun. You could have hit me."

"That was my goal, Lotor," Allura growled.

Lotor grabbed Keith by the neck and pulled him close, using Keith as a shield. "If you fire again, Princess, you'll shoot your precious peasant."

"Let Keith go, Lotor," Lance ordered.

Keith suddenly went limp, causing Lotor to loose his grip on him. "FIRE!" Keith yelled as he hit the ground. The Voltron Force opened fire, laser bolts hitting into Lotor. A few bolts ricocheted and hit Keith. Lotor jumped out of the window and into his ship. Behind him, the Black Lion roared. "What the hell?" Keith gasped. Black Lion bit down on the ship. Lotor blasted off, leaving part of his ship in the Black Lion's mouth. The Voltron Force watched as Lotor barely was able to rendezvous with his flag ship. The flag ship took off for deep space.

"Who is flying Black Lion?" Allura asked the question they were all thinking.

Black Lion's face pushed into the room and roared. Keith crawled into the mouth of his Lion and into the cockpit. "It's empty!" He stuck out his head. He crawled back into the mouth.

"*Keith, get out of there, you're in no condition to fly!*" Lance scolded.

"*I'm just going to land him on the monument, that's all,*" Keith called out over the intercom. "*Holy Cheezits!*" Keith exclaimed.

"*Holy Cheezits, what, Keith?*" Lance demanded.

"*The Black Lion's controls just moved on their own! I'm not touching anything and Black Lion is going through its landing procedures!*" Keith yelped.

"*What? Oh, God. Look, we're going to meet you in the Control Room with a wheelchair. Don't try to ride the T-bar until we get there, got it?*"

"*I got it, Lance,*" Keith said.

Black Lion landed safely on the top of the monument pillar. The command chair slipped out of the Black Lion and took Keith back to where the T-Bar waited.

The rest of the Voltron Force ran to the Control Room. Hunk had a brace made out of straps draped around his neck. "Hunk, go down and get Keith before he decides to ride the T-bar on his own."

"Got it, Lance," Hunk saluted. Coran sat in the main chair and pushed the button that activated the elevators. Hunk jumped into Elevator 1 and rode the T-bar down. Once at the bottom, he let go. "Okay, Keith, your ride's here."

"I can ride up the T-bar myself, Hunk. Thanks," Keith shook his head.

"Lance's order," Hunk held up the brace. "Okay, let me strap you to my chest and we'll go back up."

"This is so humiliating," Keith muttered.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: NC-17 **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

"Keith, give yourself a break. You've been off your feet for a week and a half. I think you're allowed to be a little sloppy. As for our shooting, we were trying to avoid hitting you. I think that should count for something."

"And I'm grateful that you managed to mostly avoid me," Keith said.

"Mostly?"

Keith looked down. "I caught a few ricochets."

Lance's face flushed red. "And you didn't think to mention this?"

"I'm not hurt bad, really. And well, I didn't get a chance to what with Black Lion going solo."

"Keith, you shouldn't have gone into Black Lion! You are in no shape to be flying!"

"And I wasn't flying! I was just sitting there while the Black Lion flew himself!"

"Keith, do you enjoy worrying me?" Lance snapped.

"Of course not, Little Brother," Keith shook his head then winced.

"Well, you're doing a good job of scaring me and I'm sure you scared the Princess too, Big Brother," Lance knelt down and looked Keith in the eyes.

Keith looked down. "I am sorry, Lance."

"I know, Big Brother. Things have been screwy lately," Lance hugged his best friend. Stiffly, Keith hugged back.

In the Infirmary, Dr. Gorma waited with Dr. Tamborrie for Keith's return. "I called Dr. Tumbletea. He got orders from General Winnelli to get here as soon as possible. The *Bright Wing* will be making no stops until she gets to Arus," Dr. Gorma said.

"Good. The Captain handled himself well in the fight," Dr. Tamborrie commented.

"Coran told his aunt and uncle that. They also have ordered their ship to get here fast."

"Very good. The sooner we get this surgery done, the better for the whole planet."

"And speaking of the Captain, there he is," Dr. Gorma nodded towards the group strolling into the Infirmary.

"I'll need you guys to help me go through those journals Coran gave me. It looks like King Alfor was a verbose man," Keith said. "I mean, fifty good sized journals and he only lived to be thirty-seven."

"And you don't know at what time he talked about the Lions flying themselves?" Iain asked.

"Coran doesn't remember when, he just remembers maybe hearing something like that," Keith sighed.

"Father did write a lot. He has a few books in the Royal Archives that might be of help too," Allura spoke up. "They're books on magic and science. Do you want me to get them, Keith?"

"You better. This is going to be a long term project," Keith said.

Dr. Gorma cleared his throat. "Welcome back, Captain. I understand that you had a little adventure."

Keith blushed. "Well, I guess you could call it that."

"Well, get into the shower so we can rinse off the glass then I'll stitch up those cuts if they need it."

"I'll help you in the shower, Keith," Lance offered. "I mean I've seen it all before. We used to take our baths together remember?"

"Yeah when we were little kids," Keith snorted.

"I brought some detangler and one of my fine-tooth combs. That will get the glass out of your hair, no problems, Keith," Allura said.

"Thanks," Keith smiled at his fiancée.

An hour later, free from the shards of glass and dressed in clean red sweat pants and a Garfield tee-shirt that asked "Is that your face or did your pants fall down?" Keith rested in his new room in the Infirmary. "I still don't see why I have to stay here," Keith grumbled. "My room isn't that far away."

"Doctors' orders, Keith," Lance shook his head.

"Well, I guess we should start going through these journals," Keith picked up the first one. "It isn't like I'm ever going to be sprung from here."

"Keith, you're in the Infirmary, not the Stockade."

"Feels like I'm in the Stockade," Keith opened the journal. "Man, this is so creepy. He knew I was coming."

Lance picked up the next journal. "You are right, the man loved to write. Good grief, he wrote down what he ate every day!"

Allura, Sven, Hunk, Pidge and Iain each picked up a journal. The day passed as the group read through the numerous writings of King Alfor.

"Hey, King Alfor wanted to be a soldier. He fought with his father over it. King Alfor, well he was Prince Alfor at the time, wanted to go to the Space Academy. But King Rhinold forbid him to attend, even though he got good scores on the exams," Pidge said after an hour of reading.

"A loss for Galaxy Garrison," Keith commented. "Well he couldn't be a soldier, but he had some great ideas for defensive weapons. Pidge, Hunk, you're the experts at building things, do you think these planes are possible?" Keith held out his journal.

Pidge adjusted his glasses. "I think so. How about I get that copied and Hunk and I can go over the plans in detail?"

"Sounds good to me," Keith marked the journal and kept reading.

"He was a great artist," Hunk held out his journal. "Look, a drawing of baby Princess Allura at two hours old."

"You were a cute baby, Your Highness," Iain said.

Allura blushed. "Thank you, Iain. Oh dear," Allura laughed. The Voltron Force looked at her. "He describes the first time he saw my mother. He was so distracted by her beauty that he walked into a suit of armor and caused a whole row of suits to fall down. Grandfather was not happy with him."

"He seemed to conflict a lot with his father," Pidge commented. "Especially as a teenager and when he first married Queen Kerreigh. It wasn't until you were born, Princess, that the two of them started to really get along."

"I don't remember my grandfather. I was only a baby when he died," Allura commented.

"My grandfather died when Keith and I were young. Like maybe two, so we don't remember him, but Nana Bessie is still alive and going strong. She's 94 years old," Lance said. "When ever Mom and Dad had to go out of town, we stayed with Nana Bessie."

"What about your grandparents, Keith? I mean your blood ones? Are they still alive?" Pidge asked.

"No. They all died before I was born. I never knew them," Keith answered.

"Do you have any blood relatives at all?" Allura asked.

"No. I'm the last Kogane. I come from a long line of only children," Keith shrugged his shoulders.

Allura draped herself across Keith's lap. "You're not the last. I'll be a Kogane soon, love. And we'll have children."

"Thank you, Love," Keith buried his face into her honey-blonde hair.

Iain politely ignored the public display of affection between his future monarchs. He glanced down at the journal he was skimming through and yelped "Hey!"

"What is it, Iain?" Keith asked.

"Part of this page is written in another hand," Iain held out his journal so everyone could see.

"You're right. And it breaks the flow of the writing. He's talking about the omelet he had for breakfast and how good it was. Then all of a sudden, he's talking about 'And shared Spirit with the Lion'. Then back to breakfast," Keith looked over the journal. "I wonder if other journals do the same thing?" He handed back the journal to Iain and picked up the one he had been reading through. "Hey I found another line! Listen. 'When Blood of a Hero True is Shed.' Does anyone have a tablet?"

"I'll get one from Dr. Gorma," Pidge stood up and ran out of the room. He found Dr. Gorma and Dr. Tamborrie deep in discussion. "Excuse me, but can I borrow a tablet and pen?" Pidge asked.

"Sure, what do you need it for?" Dr. Gorma handed over the requested items.

"For clues we think we found in the journals," Pidge answered honestly.

"You do realize that your Captain should be resting, correct?" Dr. Gorma frowned at the youngest member of the Voltron Force.

"He is resting. He's in bed. But he'll go crazy if he doesn't have something to do. I know Keith. He's not one for lying in bed," Pidge shook his head.

"I know the Captain is getting restless, but he needs to rest and take it easy with his body," Dr. Gorma said. "Oh well, it's useless to lecture you on it. Just make sure the Captain takes it easy while you do your research."

"Will do, Doc," Pidge saluted and scurried off with the pen and tablet. He rejoined his friends. "I'm back!"

"What took you so long, Pidge?" Hunk asked.

"Oh, Dr. Gorma wanted me to remind you, Keith that you should be resting."

"Oh brother," Keith rolled his eyes. "I'm in bed, that's resting. Did you get the tablet, Pidge?"

"Right here, Skipper," Pidge held up the tablet. "I wonder if it'll make me write like a doctor? So what I do I write down first?"

"'When Blood of a Hero True is Shed,'" Keith read from his journal.

"Okay," Pidge's pen moved over the tablet.

As the afternoon passed, Pidge amassed several lines culled from the various journals. Pidge put down his tablet. "Well, what do these lines mean?" He asked.

"Damned if I know," Lance grumbled. "It's all just lines of poetry. Random lines of poetry. Maybe King Alfor had some bad burritos or something when he wrote that."

"There's nothing about bad food in here," Keith flipped through the journals. "If he was experiencing food poisoning, we'd know about it. He'd have written about it."

"But it doesn't make any sense. I mean, sharing Spirit, Lion flying free. It's all just nonsense," Hunk crossed his arms over his chest.

"If I may, Captain," Iain spoke up.

"Iain, it's Keith. You can call me by my first name. I won't shoot you," Keith sighed. "What is it, Iain?"

"When you were injured in the Black Lion, did you bleed?" Iain asked.

"Yeah, his blood was all over the interior of the Black Lion," Hunk shivered at the memory.

"And you died in there, right?"

"Only for a few minutes."

"Four minutes and forty-eight seconds," Allura clung to Keith. "The longest four minutes and forty-eight seconds of my life," She buried her face into Keith's chest. Keith kissed the top of her head.

"Well, maybe the King's poetry is about your attack?" Iain suggested. "It almost fits."

"Except for the sharing of Spirit. I don't even know how to do that. Maybe if I was from Planet Arus, I'd be able to share my Spirit with Black Lion, but I am pretty sure I didn't share anything with Black Lion. Besides, I'm not a hero. I'm just a soldier doing my duty," Keith disagreed.

"Keith, to the people of Arus, you are a hero. You, all of you, have risked their lives to save them from King Zarkon," Allura objected. "So please don't look down on yourself like that."

"Okay, Princess," Keith hugged her. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"I know," Allura pulled his head down for a kiss.

Nanny interrupted the kiss with a not so subtle clearing of her throat. "I brought up some dinner for Captain Keith. And the rest of you, your dinners are waiting in the dining room."

"Thank you, Nanny," Keith said.

"You're welcome, Captain. Now the rest of you, go and have dinner and let Captain Keith rest."

"Yes, Nanny."

The next day, Keith picked at his morning meal. Soon, he'd be taken down to have tests run. Tests that would determine if he'd ever walk again. Keith sighed and put down his fork. Allura walked into his room. "Keith? Aren't you hungry?" She asked, sitting on his bed.

"No. I guess I'm worried about these tests," Keith answered honestly.

"Oh, Love, you don't have anything to worry about. You'll walk again, I know you will. Do you want me to come with you for the tests?" Allura offered.

Keith nodded his head. "Please. I hate these tests. I had them as a child and I hated them then too."

Allura nodded. "Well, I'll be with you."

"Thank you, Allura," Keith smiled weakly.

A nurse came into the room. "Captain Kogane, we're ready for you."

"Thank you," Keith swallowed hard.

"I'll push you, Keith," Allura said. She got behind Keith's wheelchair and pushed him to the testing room.

In the testing room stood a long metal tube. Keith gulped at the sight of the tube. Two techs helped him out of his wheelchair and onto the table that extended out of the tube. The female tech put padded headphones over Keith's ears. "Did you bring a disc? You can listen to music, if you want," She said.

"I didn't know you could do that. I left my discs in my room," Keith said.

"Well, we have a selection of discs here. What do you like to listen to?" The female tech asked.

"Do you have any thing punk or heavy metal?" Keith asked hopefully.

"We have the Crooked Daggers' new disc," The female tech said.

"That will do," Keith smiled with a small amount of relief. At least he would not be stuck in the tube in total silence.

"Princess, you may join us in the observation room, up there," The male tech pointed to glass wall that separated the two rooms. "We'll be monitoring in the tests in there."

"Thank you," Allura nodded to the two techs. She leaned over and kissed Keith. She squeezed his hand once and stood back as the table slid into the tube. In the observation room, a camera monitored Keith's facial expressions and vital signs. Other screens were ready to receive the information from the scans being run that day.

The male tech spoke over a microphone, interrupting the music. "Captain, we're starting the tests now. Expect some shaking and noise as the table moves. Please be as still as possible." Keith managed to nod his head. He closed his eyes. The male tech pushed a button and the long tube started humming and buzzing. The male tech monitored the tests. "Damn, he's shaking."

"He's probably scared to death. He hates these tests," Allura said. "Excuse me," She stood up and turned off the disc. She leaned over the microphone and sang "Summer has come and passed. The Innocence can never last. Wake me up when September ends…" In the tube, Keith relaxed as he heard Allura singing. Allura kept singing through out the tests.

After four repetitions of the song, the table carrying Keith emerged from the tube. The techs helped Keith sit up and eased him back into the wheelchair. Keith looked up at Allura. "Thank you," He hugged her.

"I'm glad I could help you, Keith," Allura's voice was hoarse from singing with out a break.

As soon as Keith was resettled back into his Infirmary room, Dr. Gorma and a short, plump woman entered. "Princess Allura, Captain Kogane, this is my cousin, Sister Thyme," Dr. Gorma introduced the herbalist.

"Hello, Your Highness, Captain," Sister Thyme curtsied. "So, Captain, my dear cousin tells me that you prefer natural treatments to all the chemicals he uses?"

"That's correct. My parents were herbalists and I rarely went to a Western doctor. Instead, my parents treated me with herbs and I went to an acupuncturist," Keith said. "Her name was Dr. Jean Lui. She treated me from the time I was a baby until I left Earth for Arus."

"I know Dr. Lui. She trained me in acupuncture," Sister Thyme said. She looked Keith over. "You look like you're in a good deal of pain. How about I brew you up a cup of golden claw, raspberry and a few other things? Then, I can do a treatment on you. It's your back, right?"

"Yeah, my back. Sounds good," Keith said with a grin.

"And Princess, you've been quiet. I could hear you singing in the observation room. I bet your throat is hurting you. Here," Sister Thyme dug through her large tote bag and gave Allura a piece of hard candy. "This is my own homemade throat lozenge. It works like a charm and tastes pretty good too."

"Thank you," Allura took the offered lozenge and popped it into her mouth. It tasted of raspberry and honey. It slowly melted in her mouth and coated her throat. "Wow, it works. Thank you again, Sister Thyme."

"I'm glad, my dear. It has slippery elm bark in it. I sweeten it with honey from the bees I keep," Sister Thyme dug through her tote bag and took out several pouches of herbs and roots. She blended them and steeped the mixture in a mug provided by Dr. Gorma. After letting the mixture steep, she sweetened it with a drizzle of honey. "Drink this, Captain. It will help the pain and let you rest. Sleep is the best thing to help you heal. I'll make up a few more pouches and write down the directions for my cousin."

Keith took the dark brew and drank it. "Tastes kind of like roses," He commented.

"Do you need help getting into bed?" Sister Thyme asked.

"No," Keith pulled himself into his bed. He took his shirt off and lay down on his side. Sister Thyme pulled out a box of long, thin needles. She started the treatment by placing needles in Keith's head. As the needles entered into his skin, he relaxed.

"Oh my," Allura covered her eyes as Sister Thyme put more needles into Keith's body.

"It doesn't hurt," Keith murmured sleepily.

Allura looked over at Keith and giggled. "You look like a porcupine! What are you doing now?" Allura asked as Sister Thyme hooked up some of the needles in Keith's lower back to a machine.

"Just attaching a TENS unit to some of the needles. That will allow for deep stimulation of the area," Sister Thyme explained.

Allura's mouth opened into a silent "O". Sister Thyme put a disc into Keith's player and turned it on. Soothing flute music filled the room. Sister Thyme turned off the lights and lead Allura out of the room. "He'll rest during the treatment and be sleepy afterwards. That's normal."

Allura squeezed Keith's hand. "Rest then, my Heart," She said.

(The Next Day)

Reading an extremely boring book on Royal Etiquette and Protocol, Keith heard Coran's hurried footsteps. He put the book down and turned around to see a very flustered Coran entering his Infirmary room.

"Coran, what's wrong?" Keith asked, concerned.

"Dr. Tumbletea is here and waiting for you and the rest of the Voltron Force in Dr. Gorma's office," Coran said.

"Ah, I see. You didn't know about Dr. Tea before you met him did you?" Keith grinned.

"No. Today was my first meeting with the good doctor."

"He taught first aid classes that were mandatory for everyone at the Space Academy. And of course, medical courses for those going into the Medical Corps. And he's patched me up a few times," Keith said as the pair made their way to Dr. Gorma's office.

"Yes, I know his record. Dr. Gorma sent it to me. But, I was not aware of…"

"Yes?" Keith grinned, his black eyes twinkling.

"Of the way he prefers to dress."

"So Dr. Tea still has the same killer fashion sense," Keith smirked.

"You could say that. I already summoned the rest of the Voltron Force, so they'll meet you in the office."

"Thank you, Coran. Did you tell the Princess anything about Dr. Tea?"

"No, I didn't think to. Oh dear, she's in for a shock!" Keith broke out laughing. "This is not funny, Captain Kogane!"

"Oh yes it is, Coran," Keith snickered. They met up with the rest of the Voltron Force at Dr. Gorma's office door.

"Why are you laughing, Keith?" Allura asked.

"Oh, Coran told a knock-knock joke," Keith lied cheerfully.

"Okay," Allura frowned. She knew Keith was lying. "Well, let's go and meet with this Dr. Tumbletea," Allura palmed open the door. She stopped at the threshold and gasped, her face turning bright red.

"Hello, Your Highness," Dr. Tumbletea curtsied. Allura's eyes took in a light gray suit with an A-line, knee length skirt and a white, silk blouse; silk, light gray stockings; sensible, low-heeled shoes, and for a touch of color, a blue scarf tied in a bow around his neck. Dr. Terrence Tumbletea's dirty blonde hair was cut in a short bob and he wore very little make up.

"Um… uh, hi," Allura stammered out. Keith, Lance, Sven, Pidge and Hunk howled with laughter at the Princess' red face. Iain just shook his head. "Er, hello, Dr. Tumbletea. Thank you for coming to consult on Keith's injury," Allura managed to regain control of herself.

"It's my pleasure and honor, Your Highness," Dr. Tumbletea sat back down on the edge of the desk. "Now, I have looked over the scans taken of your back, Captain. I'm sorry to say that it's damaged beyond repair."

Keith paled. "No. You're wrong. You have to be wrong!"

"Keith, it's going to be okay," Allura stroked Keith's back.

"You're wrong!" Keith screamed.

"Shh, Keith, it's going to be okay, shh," Allura soothed the Captain. Keith calmed down under Allura's touch.

"Your situation is not hopeless, Captain Kogane," Dr. Tumbletea shook his head. He stood up and picked up a box. He laid it across Keith's lap. "Take a look in that box."

"What is it?" Keith asked.

"The solution to your problem."

"What?" Keith opened the box and gaped. "What is this?"

"It's a cybernetic spine. There's one in the OR waiting to be surgically implanted into you. This is just the display model," Dr. Tumbletea said.

"A cybernetic spine," Keith repeated. "That's it? That's my only choice? More surgery? A cybernetic spine? There's nothing else that can be done?" Keith demanded.

"We've been in consult since your injury happened, Captain Kogane. There is nothing that will give you back the ability to walk," Dr. Tamborrie said.

"What about being a pilot? Commanding the Voltron Force? Will I still be able to do that with a cybernetic spine?" Keith asked.

Dr. Tumbletea nodded. "No one with my cybernetics in them has ever had to give up the military. I've put legs on soldiers and sent them back out to the front lines the next day."

Keith lowered his head in thought. *I don't want more surgery. And, cybernetic spines are experimental. What if it doesn't work? What if it does? It means no more pain. It means I can marry Allura. But more surgery. How many surgeries will it take me?* Keith thought.

Keith was so lost in thought that he did not hear the sharp foot steps behind the group. He failed to notice the gasp from Lance when Lance turned around to see who had come in the door. "Mom! Dad!" Lance exclaimed.

Keith looked up and spun his chair around. His mouth dropped open. Standing before him dressed in black uniforms with gray piping, chests dripping in medals and campaign ribbons and black berets on their heads were Caleb and Charlene McCastlin. The McCastlins saluted. Keith's military training kicked in and he returned the salute. Lance still gaped at his parents. Keith elbowed Lance in the side. "Salute, Lance!" Keith ordered. Lance managed a half-hearted salute. Keith glanced over at the rest of his team, they all managed to salute including Allura. Caleb and Charli turned their attention to Allura. Caleb bowed and Charli curtsied.

"Please, rise," Allura commanded gently.

"Thank you, Your Highness," Caleb said. "Sorry to interrupt you, Doctor Tumbletea."

"Oh, no there wasn't any interruption. We're just waiting for Captain's decision."

Keith felt the McCastlins' eyes on him. He knew what they were waiting for. *It's your only choice, Keith,* Keith thought. He sighed. "When can you do the surgery?" Keith asked. "And how long until I can walk again?"

"We can do the surgery as soon as you've been put under anesthesia. As for the walking, in a day or two after the surgery. We just have to make sure the medications are out of your system," Dr. Tumbletea answered.

"Okay. Just don't mess up my tattoo okay?" Keith asked with a weak smile.

"No problem, Captain. Now, if you'll follow me, we'll get down to the pre-op room and get you ready for surgery," Dr. Tumbletea said. "Oh, would you like some one with you until you've been put under?"

"Allura?" Keith asked.

"I won't leave until the doctors make me, Love," Allura kissed Keith. Keith leaned against her. "You'll be okay, Love."


	8. Chapter 8

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: NC-17 **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

In the pre-op room, Keith changed into a hospital gown and laid on a gurney. Allura put on a set of scrubs over her jeans and tee shirt. She sat in a chair next to Keith's gurney and held his hand while a nurse started an IV into Keith's other hand. Allura felt the small tremors that shot through his body. "Shh, it's going to be fine, Love," Allura soothed Keith, stroking his hair.

"I hate surgeries," Keith confessed.

"I know, my Heart, but you'll be able to walk again when this is done," Allura reminded him of the purpose of this surgery.

Keith managed a weak grin. He looked as pale as he did the day of his accident. Dr. Gorma, also dressed in scrubs, came into the pre-op room. "We're ready for you, Captain Kogane." Keith swallowed hard as his gurney was wheeled into the operating room. Once in the room, orderlies quickly transferred Keith to the table. Allura sat on a stool by Keith's head. Dr. Gorma put a mask over Keith's nose and mouth. "Now, Captain, just count backwards from ten and when you wake up, the surgery will be over."

Mint-scented gas flooded the mask. Almost immediately, Keith could feel the urge to sleep coming over him. "It's okay, love, just count and let the medication do its job," Allura urged him gently.

Eyes blinking, Keith slowly counted "Ten, nine, eight, seven, si...x, fi…ve, f...ou...r, th…three, t…w…o, o…n…e…" Keith drifted off the sleep. Allura kissed his forehead.

"Your Highness, you have to go now," Dr. Tumbletea said.

"Please take good care of him. He's my life," Allura said as she stood up.

"I promise, Your Majesty, when we're done, he'll be as good as new," Dr. Tumbletea promised.

"Thank you, Dr. Tumbletea," Allura walked out of the operating room.

As soon as Allura was gone, the doctors hooked Keith up to a respirator then turned him over. Before the first incision could be made, Dr. Tumbletea held up his hands. "Gentlemen, let's first ask God for help and guidance." The other two doctors nodded their heads. The doctors joined hands around Keith's limp body. "Dear God, we ask you to guide us as we operate on this brave Captain. Please keep him safe in your care and keep our hands steady and true. Thank you, dear God. Amen," Dr. Tumbletea prayed.

"Amen," Dr. Gorma and Dr. Tamborrie echoed.

"Scalpel," Dr. Tumbletea requested from the nurse. The nurse slapped the sharp blade into Dr. Tumbletea's hand. Dr. Tumbletea pressed the scalpel blade against the top of Keith's neck and made the first cut…

In the surgical waiting room, the Voltron Force huddled together and waited for news. Lance sat with his teammates instead of with his parents. "Lance, are you sure you don't want to spend time with your parents?" Allura asked.

"No. I don't," Lance growled. "Are they even my parents? Or is it another lie?"

"Lance, I'm sure they had reasons for not telling you that they were in the military," Allura shook her head.

"They're not just military. They're freaking Special Ops! Isn't that something that you should tell your kids? What else have they been hiding?" Lance demanded.

"Lance," Caleb and Charli knelt in front of their son. "We were under orders to keep our military activities secret. We'll tell everything, as soon as Keith's awake enough to hear it, because it concerns him too."

"Why did you come out of the closet now?" Lance demanded.

"Because it was time to come out," Charli said. "Lance, you're a soldier. Your big brother, Tony, is in Special Ops. You know there is stuff he can't talk about. This was the same way. It was the only way to protect you and Keith. Now, please, son, be patient. You'll be able to ask all the questions you want later."

"No more secrets?" Lance asked.

"No more secrets," Caleb promised.

"What would have happened to us if you and Mom had died on one of your missions?" Lance asked.

"You and Keith would have gone to live with Nana Bessie. And, Nana Bessie would have kept both of you boys in the Academy. I wish you boys could have known how proud I was when you were accepted into the Space Academy. My boys were going into the military. And accepted so young. Real chips off the old blocks," Caleb said. "My boys carrying on the family tradition. When the school told us you boys signed up to take the Academy exams, I was so proud."

"We only signed up to get out of math class," Lance confessed. "But it did seem natural to do it."

"That's because it's in your blood," Caleb hugged his son.

Eight hours later, Dr. Tumbletea walked out of the operating room. Everyone in the waiting room looked up at him. "Captain Kogane came through the surgery just fine. He's in Recovery. He should be on his feet in a day or two. We'll see how long it takes the medication to leave his system."

"May I be with him in Recovery?" Allura asked.

"Of course, Your Highness," Dr. Tumbletea curtsied. "This way."

Dr. Tumbletea led Allura to the Recovery Room. In a cubicle next to the nurse's station, Keith rested peacefully. Allura crawled into the bed and rested her head on his chest. "My Heart, I'm here," She whispered. Keith murmured in his sleep and wrapped his arm around her.

A few hours later, Keith woke up. He waited for the pain that plagued him since he woke up from a coma sixteen years ago, but it did not come. *Did the surgery work?* Keith wondered. He sat up, waking up Allura.

"Keith?" Allura looked up at her fiancée.

"Allura, did it work?" Keith asked, biting his lip.

"Dr. Tumbletea says everything went fine. You'll be on your feet in a day or two," Allura hugged him. Keith held her close. Allura leaned up and kissed him. Keith pulled her close, running his hands through her long, thick hair. Allura broke the kiss, panting for breath. "Oh, Keith," She murmured.

"I'm so sorry for all the stress and worry I've caused you over these past two weeks," Keith hugged Allura.

"Oh, Love, it's not your fault. We can start planning our wedding now," Allura stroked Keith's face. "I already have my dress. It was my mother's. Oh, you'll love it."

"You'd even look beautiful wearing nothing but a sack," Keith grinned.

"Oh, you!" Allura lightly slapped Keith's chest. Keith chuckled.

Dr. Tumbletea cleared his throat behind the couple. "Excuse me, but the nurse told me you were awake, Captain."

"I didn't see the nurse," Allura said.

"Well she didn't come in. But she did hear the pair of you kissing and made the correct assumption that you were awake," Dr. Tumbletea said with a cheeky grin.

"Oh," Allura turned bright red.

"I have a message for you, Captain, from your friend, Captain Winnelli," Dr. Tumbletea handed over the message.

"Thank you, Dr. Tea," Keith took the message and opened it.

Allura looked at it. "It doesn't make any sense," She said.

"Tony wrote it in special ops code. He taught me how to read and write in it. The code's nearly unbreakable," Keith explained.

"What does it say?" Allura asked.

"Nosy," He teased her. "It says 'Congratulations on your engagement. The love of a woman is one of the greatest of God's blessings that a man can have.' Tony ought to know. He's been married to Giovanna for five years now. This is strange. 'Remember; never forget the mission, no matter what happens. You're a damn good soldier, just like your parents.'," Keith looked up from the note. "He knew something about my parents and didn't tell me. Why wouldn't he tell me something like that?"

"Maybe he couldn't. Your Aunt and Uncle probably told him not to tell anyone about your parents. I'm sure they had their reasons too," Allura stroked Keith's hair.

Keith sighed. "You're right. Those reasons had better be good ones. I don't like secrets and Tony knows that."

"He had a very good reason for keeping information from you, Keith," Allura soothed her fiancée. "Will he be invited to the wedding?"

"Definitely. He and Lance will be my best men."

"Best men?"

"You don't have bridal parties, like Best Man, Maid of Honor, Bride's Maids in Arusian weddings?" Keith asked.

Allura shook her head. "No. The Bride and Groom stand up alone, especially at a royal wedding. There are Witnesses, of course. And that's as close to a bridal party as it gets, I guess. But being asked to be a Witness is a big honor. Keith, I'd like the Voltron Force to be our Witnesses at the wedding. They feel like family to me."

"They are family, Allura," Keith corrected. "In the military, the people you serve with become your brothers and sisters. So Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Sven, even Iain are your brothers. And they see you as their sister."

"I've always wanted brothers."

"Now you have them. Tony already considers you his little sister even though we're not married yet," Keith said. "See, this next part of the message is 'Welcome to the family, Little Sister.'"

"He called me Little Sister," Allura ran her fingers over the message.

"That's Tony for you."

"What's he like? He's not related to you by blood, right?"

"Right. He's Italian. Born on base in San Francisco. His dad's an Air Force General and the head of the Special Ops for Galaxy Garrison. His mom's in the SFPD. Um, San Francisco Police Department," Keith clarified at Allura's blank look. "They were good friends with my parents and Lance's. I guess they served together. I don't know. There's a lot I don't know about my own parents. But, Tony's cool. When he's on duty, he's ON DUTY. He's protective of those he sees as his family. He's the oldest of four kids. He's been married for five years now to Giovanna. They have two kids, twins."

"Does he have long hair like you? He is a Captain."

"Um, no his hair is high and tight. I wear my hair long because it's a Mecha Captain tradition. Long hair on a Captain or higher rank brings good luck. The guy who mentored me, General Sidney, had hair down past his knees. Mecha pilots have a history of wearing their hair wild. General Sidney's assistant, Commander Jamis, had a purple Mohawk," Keith laughed. "Until he was promoted. Then he started growing his hair long. It was still purple though."

"Why do Mecha pilots get away with wild hair?" Allura asked, eager to learn more about Keith.

"Because Mecha pilots are the Elite of the pilots. There are only a handful of Mecha pilots in Galaxy Garrison. We start out as fighter pilots, but are trained on all forms of Mecha from Cyclones to Valkyries VT-1S."

"Is that how you became a Mecha pilot?" Allura asked.

Keith shook his head, enjoying the sensation of movement with out pain. "No. I was recruited as soon as I finished my basic pilot's training. Most Mecha pilots are in their late teens, early twenties when they start training on Mecha. I was thirteen. Only Pidge was younger when he started his Mecha training."

"How old was Lance when he started his training?"

"Sixteen. I was helping to train the newer pilots by the time Lance joined up," Keith suddenly laughed.

"What's so funny?" Allura asked.

"Well, I was just thinking how I had my hair back then, when I was sixteen."

"How did you wear it?"

"Spiked. And since I was a Mecha pilot, it was legal. I could go to clubs and not have to worry about my hair when I came back to the Academy. Ask Lance, he's got a ton of pictures of me and him at that time."

"Lance didn't go for the wild hair styles did he?" Allura grinned.

"Nope. He was convinced it would ruin his charm."

"What charm?" Allura giggled.

"That's what I said."

The nurse walked into the cubical with two orderlies behind her. "Captain Kogane, Dr. Tumbletea said that we can move you back into your room."

"Thank you, nurse."

The nurse unhooked the monitors on Keith's body. Once Keith was free of the monitors, the Orderlies pushed the bed out of Recovery. In his room, the Voltron Force and Charli and Caleb waited. The Orderlies transferred Keith to his bed and rehooked up the monitors.

"Guys, I don't need these monitors," Keith objected.

"Dr. Tumbletea's orders, Captain," One orderly said. "You just had major surgery so you need to be monitored for twenty-four hours. Here," The orderly handed over the orders.

Keith looked it over. In Dr. Tumbletea's neat handwriting was written that Keith had back surgery, but nothing about his cybernetic spine. Keith started to say something, but Caleb cut him off. "You can discuss that when you see Dr. Tumbletea again." The orderlies left the room. Keith stared at his aunt and uncle still in their Class-A dress uniforms. "We'll discuss this later too, Keith."

"We'll discuss it now, please," Keith said. "I feel fine enough for this conversation."

"If you're sure," Charli said.

Keith and Lance looked at each other. "We're sure," They said together.

"Okay, boys."

"Were my parents Special Ops too?" Keith asked.

"Yes they were. We served together. Do you recognize this patch?" Caleb pointed to a patch on his shoulder: four men on horseback, racing ahead of a massive storm.

"You're Storm Riders," Lance said. "Tony's a Storm Rider too."

"I am one too," Sven spoke up.

Lance looked up at his friend, shocked.

"Yes, he is. And, yes we are. We've been Riders for many years," Charli nodded her head. "So were Akira and Meyong," She named Keith's parents.

"I thought they were herbalists. Dad ran the Three Dragons Apothecary near our house. He always talked about me taking it over when I got older," Keith shook his head. "They started training me as an herbalist before they died."

"The herbalism was a cover. Oh they both trained as herbalists, but that was their cover for a lot of their missions," Caleb said. "Just like I used my training as an architect as my cover. A lot of those "meetings with clients" and "conventions" I told you boys I was at were actually military missions."

"How long did you plan on keeping this secret from us?" Lance demanded.

"Until we felt you two were old enough to handle the truth. And, now, you two are. There is more, we have to tell you. It concerns your parents' death, Keith," Caleb said. Keith looked up at his Uncle. "They did die in a car crash, but it wasn't a drunk driver that hit them."

"It was a Drul, wasn't it?" Keith asked. "I had nightmares about a blue man in the other car as a child. I never told anyone. I thought I was imagining it."

"You're right, Keith. You see, your parents, on their last mission, killed Crown Prince Tivor, King Zarkon's older and much beloved son."

"Lotor had an older brother?" Lance yelped.

"Yes, and he was a warrior. Far superior to Lotor in everything. Had Akira not killed Tivor, I suspect Tivor would have killed his father and brother and taken over Planet Doom. Akira and Meyong's last mission, Operation Blind Retribution, was to break up a slave ring on Planet Deriani that Prince Tivor ran. He was running raids even on Earth, taking slaves where he could. Galaxy Garrison sent Akira and Meyong to stop it," Caleb said.

"Galaxy Garrison sent them in alone?" Keith asked.

"No, they were heading up a small team, including Charli and myself. We went to Deriani under the cover of Deriani's long night. The slave pits were found quickly…"

*****************

"Figures Tivor would hole up in a luxury resort," Akira Kogane said after looking through his scope. He was a tall, slender Japanese man dressed in black fatigues with a skull painted on his face.

"The man loves the finer things in life," Caleb McCastlin, also dressed in the fatigues and skull on his face, agreed.

"Have you heard anything from the ladies?" Akira asked.

"They've made contact with the informant."

"Good. Are the explosives in place?"

"Ready to blow on your signal," Caleb nodded.

"Alright. Let's get in closer. Remember, silenced weapons and blades only!" Akira ordered. The team saluted Akira. "Let's roll."

The team, lead by Akira and Caleb, slid over the hill and passed the slave pits. Akira motioned for part of his group to stay behind and monitor the slave pits. The remainder of the group swarmed towards the back of the resort. Akira grabbed a guard and slit his throat with a black K-Bar knife. Akira eased the dead guard to the ground. Around him, his team did the same. They hid the bodies in the shadows and dashed into the basement.

Meanwhile, in the top penthouse suite, Prince Tivor watched as his slave girls danced and Meyong Kogane and Charli McCastlin, dressed in the scanty costumes of Tivor's slave harem, poured spiced wine into jeweled goblets.

"Lovely ladies, I do not recognize either of you," Tivor purred and stroked Meyong's long black hair.

"We were taken from Earth during your last raid, your lordship," Meyong lied, lowering her dark, almond-shaped eyes.

"You're both very beautiful," Tivor grinned. "You shouldn't waste your time dancing with these plain girls. Report to my personal quarters, girls. You'll join my special toys."

"Yes, Prince," Charli bowed. The two ladies walked into Tivor's bedchamber, their heads held down. As soon as they passed the guards leading into the bedchamber, the ladies found themselves in opulently decorated room. Naked women, mainly Terran, lounged on silken pillows. Charli gasped when she saw chained to the massive bed a pair of young girls, naked with wide, sad eyes. Neither girl had yet entered puberty. "That monster!"

Meyong, a healer and herbalist by training, knelt in front of the girls. The girls looked up at her. "I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help you," She promised the girls. The two girls huddled together. "Here," She pulled out two pieces of candy from her long skirt. "These will help you feel better," She promised. Warily, the girls took the candy and sucked on it.

"Don't worry, we'll get you out of here and back to your parents," Charli added.

The first girl sobbed. "No."

"Are your parents slaves? We can rescue them."

The first girl shook her head. "Mama and Daddy…sold us to Prince Tivor!"

"What?" Charli and Meyong gasped. "Why?"

"Because we are worthless girls," The second girl whimpered.

"You poor things," Meyong stroked the girls' hair. "Let's get you out of these chains."

"If we take the chains off, Prince Tivor will hurt us," The first girl said.

"Don't worry about Prince Tivor. Our husbands will take care of him," Meyong picked the locks around the girls' necks.

Just then, the power went out in the building. Meyong and Charli grinned. "Let's go, everyone! We're leaving this joint!" Charli ordered. The two female Special Ops soldiers opened the door and grabbed the guards from behind. Each woman drew out slender tanto blades from their boots and slit the throats of the guards.

"Come on!"

Out in the slave pens, the electrified bars that held in the slaves shimmered then faded. The hidden soldiers jumped out from behind the rocks and killed all the guards.

"Everyone out!" Ordered one of the soldiers. "This way to freedom!"

Most of the slaves ran out of the pen. A ragged male grabbed a soldier's arm. "What about our women and children? They were kept separate from us."

"The Commanders will get rescue them," The soldier promised.

Blades clashed as Akira and Caleb battled their way through the guards. Akira used two sharp Katanas while Caleb opted for his saber. One quick slice and Akira took the head off a Drul guard. One flick of his saber and Caleb spilled the guts of another guard. Akira dispatched two more guards then he heard sobbing. He kicked open the door and found several children huddled together.

"Please, save us," The oldest boy, maybe eight years old, sobbed.

"The way behind us is clear, kiddo. Just ignore the guards. They're quite dead. Johnston, take the kids to the ship."

"Yes, Commander. I'll be right back."

"*Commander Kogane, all the slaves are waiting in the ship,*" One soldier reported in over the COM.

"Good. We're sending the children with Johnston. Be on guard," Akira ordered.

"*You got it, Commander!*"

Akira sighed and pushed a head out of his way with his foot. "I hope Meyong and Charli found the women."

"I'm sure they did."

"Yeah, but no radio contact with them is worrying me." Just then, Akira's radio squacked to life. "This is Kogane. Over."

"*Commander, we have most of the women. We're leading them out. We should be clear of the building in five minutes,*" Meyong told her husband. "*There are still some dancers with Tivor in the penthouse suite's main room.*"

"Good. Rendezvous with the ship. The children should be there by then. Caleb and I will get the dancers out of here. Any complications?"

"*Just that Tivor's a sick fuck!*" Meyong exclaimed.

"Tell me about it after we meet up," Akira said. "Kogane out."

"*Kogane out.*"

Akira and Caleb fought their way upstairs. At the penthouse suite, they found themselves facing a barred door. "Okay, Caleb, it's your time to shine," Akira backed away from the door.

Caleb opened up his back pack and pulled out a small explosive device. He pressed it against the door then he joined Akira. "Okay, on three. One, two, three! Fire in the hole!" Caleb pressed a button and the ornate door fell open with a crack!

Akira and Caleb ran into the penthouse suite. "Everyone put their hands up!" Akira ordered. Terrified dancing women screamed and huddled together in a far corner. Drule guards rushed the Special Ops soldiers. Akira pulled out his matching pair of Katanas and twirled them, deflecting blades and laser bolts. Then, he tore into the guards, lopping off arms and heads. "Tivor, show yourself!" Akira demanded, clearing the mass of guards.

"Well, well, it's Akira Kogane. The Nip pain in my ass," Tivor drawled.

Akira bowed then spun his blades again. "I'm supposed to arrest you, Tivor, for your crimes against Earth."

"Arrest me! Stupid man, I am a Prince! Heir to the Throne of Doom! I will not be arrested!" Tivor exclaimed. "Prepare yourself for a fight! And after I kill you, I'll take your Chink wife and make her one of my slaves. And that half-breed son of yours, oh, yes, he's a pretty one. I think I'll make him one of my special toys," Tivor drew his sword.

Akira growled and slashed at Tivor, cutting the Drul's long white hair off. Tivor's eyes widened then he yowled. "My hair! You'll pay for that, Nip!" Akira raised a thick, black eyebrow and spun his blades, opening up cuts in Tivor's arms and chest.

"I'd rather you didn't call me Nip. It's quite rude."

"You're dead, Nip!" Tivor screamed and rushed Akira. Akira parried the attack then jumped over Tivor's head. He hit Tivor across the buttocks. Tivor spun around. "Before you die, you'll see me take your wife and son… and use them for my pleasure. You'll hear them beg for death before I kill you!"

"Don't threaten my family, Tivor," Akira's eyes narrowed. He backed Tivor into a corner and cut off Tivor's sword hand. The two blades rested against Tivor's neck. Tivor shook and sweated. Akira decapitated Tivor. He picked up the head by the remains of Tivor's formerly white, long mane. "Target eliminated."

*****************

Keith blinked his eyes. "My Dad cut off Prince Tivor's head? Just like it was nothing?"

"Explains where Keith gets it from," Lance snickered. "When ever we work out, he always goes for the head."

"It's a sure kill shot," Keith defended himself.

"You're like the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. Always going for the head."

"Okay boys, that's enough," Charli interrupted the pair before a fight could break out.

"Sorry," Keith and Lance apologized together.

"Is there more to the story, Aunt Charli?" Allura asked.

"There is. About a month later, at the boys' sixth birthday party, Space Marshall Graham showed up with news for Akira and Meyong."

"I remember that birthday," Lance blushed. "I um, well… Oh dear."

"Yes that's the same birthday party, Lance."

"What did Lance do?" Hunk demanded.

"You see, the boys always celebrated their birthday together in one big party. And that year, we got the boys a piñata in the shape of the Valkyrie in Guardian Mode…"

*****************

"Harder, Lance! You almost got it that time!" Keith yelled and clapped his hands.

"It keeps moving!" Lance grumbled and gripped the stick tighter. "And I'm dizzy! Tony spun me around too much!"

"Whine, whine, Little Brother. Hit the piñata," Tony Winnelli ordered. "No, this way," He said when Lance started waving the stick at his head. Tony lead Lance back to the piñata. "Now hit."

Just then, Space Marshall Michael Graham strolled into the back yard, carrying two gift bags, one red and the other blue. "Hello, boys…" He said startling the blind-folded Lance.

Lance spun around, swinging the stick. "What?" He said as he made contact with something soft. Graham doubled over and squealed. "That wasn't the piñata!"

"Holy Cheezits! I think you killed Space Marshall Graham!" Keith yelled.

Tony, at ten-years-old was already 5'6", helped Graham up. "Are you okay, sir?"

"I'm fine, Cadet Winnelli," Graham gasped. "Just shocked. That McCastlin boy has a good swing. Now if his aim was better."

"Yes, sir," Tony bit his lip so he wouldn't laugh.

"Space Marshall!" Akira exclaimed and ran over to him. "Are you okay? Do you need anything? Meyong, prepare a pain drink!"

"I'm already there, Love," Meyong grinned. She handed him a Dixie cup filled with a dark, steaming liquid. "This will take care of the pain and any swelling. We have a whole gallon prepared. You see last year, Keith managed to give himself a concussion playing oh what was it? I forget now, but there you go. We always keep this drink on hand."

"Thank you, Meyong," Graham took the offered Dixie cup. He sniffed the contents and winced. It was a bitter brew. He closed his eyes and downed the drink in one gulp. He shuddered as the brew hit his stomach but then relaxed as the pain eased up. "It works pretty well. But can't it taste better?"

"Sugar would neutralize the benefits of the herbs," Meyong said. "Here, drink some punch. It will wash the taste out of your mouth."

"Thank you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: NC-17 **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

"So, Marshall, did you come to learn how to sing soprano? Or is there another reason for your visit?" Akira asked.

"Let's go some place private."

"My office then," Akira said.

"Caleb, Charli, you'd better come with us," Graham said.

"Yes, sir."

In Akira's office, Space Marshall Graham paced back and forth, looking over the odd assortment of items that ranged from a mini-rock garden to childish drawings done by Keith. "Akira, we just confirmed, through an informant, that King Zarkon has placed a hit on you and your entire family in retaliation for Prince Tivor's death."

"What? My entire family? That means Keith too?" Akira sat down in his office chair in shock.

"But he's only a little boy and not involved in what we do. He was on Earth when we raided the slave pens on Deriani," Meyong whispered.

"A son for a son is what the spies have told me. And, Tivor had a lot of information on you, Akira. How long had your conflict gone on with him?"

"Too long. From my first mission as a Storm Rider," Akira answered.

"I see. Well, King Zarkon now knows all that Tivor knew about you," Graham steepled his fingers. "I recommend that you take your family and go into hiding."

"For how long? Zarkon gets tired of having a hit out there? No way!" Akira shook his head. "That's giving in and I won't give in!"

"At least send Keith into hiding."

"Where could we send Keith? To relatives that we don't have?"

"I can take Keith. My wife and I have no children of our own. Keith would be a welcomed addition to our family," Graham offered.

"No, you can't have Keith! He's our child!" Meyong yelled.

"It would be for Keith's own safety. He wouldn't want for anything. And he'd be able to enter the Academy with no problems," Graham laid out his case. "With me as his sponsor."

"No. Keith stays with us. Or if something happens to us, with Charli and Caleb," Akira said firmly.

Meyong agreed with her husband. "Keith wouldn't be safe with you, sir; he'd be a target from the assassins that hunt you. He'd be at more risk. Unless you'd keep him locked up in your mansion, never to be free."

"He'd have access to the best education. He'd be able to make contacts that would help him in his future career."

"What about friends? His best friend, Lance, would be left behind. Separating Keith and Lance would be like separating twins," Charli said. "They are a packaged deal."

"Well, Lance would be welcome too, you know that."

"No, Space Marshall Graham, we're not turning our son over to you," Caleb said angrily.

Graham looked down and thought for a moment. "You haven't been included in the hit yet, but if you take in Keith Kogane, you will be putting your own child at risk," He looked back up.

"It's a risk we're willing to take. Keith's family," Caleb stood up and faced the Space Marshall. "And we'll protect him with our lives. And if we fall, the Winnelli family would take both boys in and care for them."

"So you're willing to risk your own son's life to protect Keith?" Graham asked.

"We'd do the same for Charli and Caleb if the positions were reversed," Meyong said.

Suddenly, something whizzed into the room, knocking down a vase. Everyone hit the floor and drew out their weapons. Sweat beaded on Akira's face as he crept to the window and looked out. In front of him, in the back yard, he saw children scrambling on the ground, picking up pieces of candy and his "nephew", Tony, standing with the stick and a big grin on his face.

Graham picked up the "bullet." "It's a Tootsie Roll," He held up the piece of candy.

"The boys got Tony to break open the piñata," Akira said.

"So that's why the candy reached escape velocity," Caleb laughed.

*****************

"We never did figure out why Graham was so insistent that you live with him, Keith," Charli said.

"I know why. King Alfor knew that I was going to be King of Arus after him," Keith answered. "And he contacted Galaxy Garrison to have them prepare me for it, but not to let me know either. He didn't know if Mom and Dad would find out or not. But, Graham, as Space Marshall knew what Alfor told Galaxy Garrison."

"How did you learn this, Keith?" Caleb asked.

"We, that is, the Voltron Force, have been going through King Alfor's journals for a week now. As for how Alfor knew? He was a Mystic," Keith shrugged his shoulders.

"What would Graham gain by having Keith?" Lance asked.

"That's easy. He'd have control of the King of Arus," Hunk said. "He'd isolate Keith from family and friends; claiming it was for your protection, Keith."

"And he'd assume that I'd have my first loyalties to him, instead of Arus or Galaxy Garrison," Keith finished for Hunk.

"That's my theory."

"What is so important about Arus that everyone wants it so bad?" Pidge frowned and adjusted his over-sized glasses.

"Arus is the center of the Denubian Galaxy. We have the best scientists and artists. Some of the best teachers in the universe have come from Arusian schools. And, we have Voltron. The most powerful robot in the universe," Allura said. "Graham could have controlled all of that, if he had gotten his hands on Keith."

"Instead, Mom and Dad raised you," Lance spoke up. "And, you're not controlled by anyone."

"No. And my loyalties lay with the people of Arus," Keith proclaimed.

"Same here," Lance nodded his head.

"Arus is our home," Hunk spoke up.

"Right," Pidge agreed.

"Thank you, it means so much to hear that," Allura sniffled. Keith hugged her.

"Graham has got to know that he has no way of getting to Arus through Keith. This brings up a bigger question." Everyone in the room looked at him. "What will he do to get control of Arus?" Caleb asked.

"I wish I had answer for that," Charli said. "He'll need to be watched, but who could do that with out being found out?"

"How about Major Jamis?" Keith suggested.

"Who?" Hunk asked.

"Not the guy with the purple hair, Keith!" Lance exclaimed.

"Why not? He's on the council but he's not brown nosing Graham. And I know him. And trust him. He helped to train me to be a Mecha pilot," Keith said. "He's still in tight with General Sidney."

"That's no reason to believe Jamis would help us, Keith," Caleb shook his head.

"Major Jamis told me that General Sidney doesn't like Graham. Never did like him. And Jamis agrees with General Sidney," Keith said.

"I'd feel better if our Watcher was a Storm Rider," Charli sighed.

"The Storm Riders would be suspect. One of them trying to get in close to Graham, it would stick out. Jamis is already on the Command Council."

"When will you be talking to Major Jamis again?"

"Soon, I hope. I plan on inviting both him and General Sidney to the wedding," Keith answered.

"Very well. We'll have this discussion again when Jamis is here," Caleb said, ending the conversation.

Dr. Tumbletea walked into the room. "Okay, every one who has not had a new spine implanted in them today, out of the room," He jokingly ordered. He had changed from his scrubs into a dark peach skirt and pale peach blouse.

The Voltron Force said their good byes with high-fives. Caleb and Charli hugged their "nephew." Allura looked up pleadingly at Dr. Tumbletea. "You too, Your Highness. You can see the Captain tomorrow, after everyone has a good night's rest."

Allura kissed Keith good bye. "Page me if you need me, Love," She whispered.

"I will."

Allura kissed Keith again then left.

"Now that we are alone, Captain," Dr. Tumbletea laughed. "Sit up. Do you need help?"

"No," Keith sat up. "How is my tattoo?"

"It's a very nice one and there should be no scarring from the surgery. Well, a little bit of a scar at the top of your neck and the base of your spine, but the rest? No scarring."

"Good. I'd hate to have to get the tattoo fixed. That would be a pain," Keith said, leaning forward while Dr. Tumbletea felt his back.

"It would be," Dr. Tumbletea agreed. "Well, things are looking good. And you're far more alert than I thought you'd be after this surgery, but I think you'll be back on your feet tomorrow, after breakfast."

"Great. I'm tired of being in bed or worse, in wheelchairs," Keith said with a frown.

"Well those are a thing of the past now, Captain. Get some rest and tomorrow, you'll be walking again. Good night."

"Good night," Keith lay back in bed. Dr. Tumbletea turned off the lights and left the room. Keith tossed and turned, his mind still trying to process the shocks of the day. Finally he pressed a button, calling the nurse.

The nurse came into his room. "What's wrong, Captain?"

"Did Sister Thyme leave anything for me to help me sleep?" He asked.

"She did. I'll fix it up for you."

"Thank you."

The nurse left then returned with a mug filled with a steaming, blue liquid. "A sedative would work faster," The nurse suggested as Keith drank the brew.

"Maybe, but I don't like the way they make me feel," Keith shook his head. He finished the brew and handed back the mug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, Captain."

Almost immediately, Keith felt the brew work on his system. He felt a familiar, woozy sensation. "No, oh, no…" He called out as he felt the sedative the nurse hid in the brew take effect. "No…" Keith was unwillingly pulled deep into sleep.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

A slender crescent of moon hung over the Bay. On the Golden Gate Bridge, two cars, one a red Honda and the other a blue Topaz, sped across the road way. In the red Honda, Akira Kogane gripped the steering wheel so tight that his knuckles turned white. "Akira, slow down," Meyong put a hand on her husband's arm, feeling the tightness there.

"I'm sorry but we won't be safe until we get home," Akira said. "Remember, Caleb and I will go in to the house first and check it out. If we're not out in ten minutes, drive back to the Winnelli's house."

"I know the plan," Meyong nodded her head. "Do you think we're in danger right now?"

"You heard the Colonel. Zarkon's found takers for his hit. Dammit! Maybe Keith should have stayed with the Colonel."

"No, I'd be so worried if he wasn't with us," Meyong shook her head.

"Mamma-San, Pappa-San, what's wrong?" Six-year-old Keith asked from the back seat.

"It's nothing, Dear. Just grown up talk," Meyong lied. A gold SUV wove in and out of the light traffic. "Akira, that car!"

"I see it. Keith, get down on the floor!" Akira ordered his son.

"Yes, Pappa-San!" Keith unbuckled his seat belt and slid to the floor. He curled up in a ball.

The SUV sped up as it approached the red Honda. Keith heard the sickening crunch as the SUV slammed head first into the Honda. "MAMMA-SAN! PAPPA-SAN!" Keith screamed as the Honda spun and crashed into the barriers on the side of the bridge. Intense pain seared through Keith's back as the car crumpled around him. Keith looked up and saw a blue man with pointed ears and long hair that had once been white hanging inside the car, between his parents. Keith was unable to see his parents from his position in the back of the car.

Amazingly, the radio still worked. Hauntingly, Billie Joe Armstrong sang "Summer has come and past. The innocent can never last. Wake me up when September ends…"

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Keith struggled in his sleep, trying to wake up from the nightmare.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Keith? Keith!" He could hear his Aunt Charli calling for him. Keith lifted his head and whimpered in pain. His head fell back down. "Oh God, Keith!" Charli reached into the wreckage and took Keith's exposed hand. Keith squeezed it weakly. "He's alive, Caleb!"

From outside the car, Keith heard Caleb exclaim "Thank God! I called the Colonel. Help's on the way!"

Time passed in a haze for Keith. Suddenly, red and blue lights filled the area then a night sun lit up the Bridge. Machines screeched and sparks flew into the night air. The top of the car vanished, peeled away. A man dressed in firefighter's gear knelt down and took Keith's hand. "Hi, Keith. I'm Adam. Ve're going to get you out of here," Adam had black hair, bright blue eyes and a thick Scandinavian accent.

"Mamma-San? Pappa-San?" Keith whimpered.

"Shh, don't vorry about your parents. Just focus on staying avake. How old are you?"

"I'm six," Keith answered, dazed.

"My little nephew is eight. He lives in Norvay, his name's Sven."

"Funny name."

"Vell, it's a normal name for Scandinavian people. Keith, look at me. Stay avake! Ve need oxygen, STAT!" Adam leaned out of the car. Some one brought an oxygen tank and mask. Adam fixed the mask to Keith's nose and mouth. Adam shouted to some one else "Ve have to get him out of here, he's going into shock!"

"We're trying, Dutch, but he's wedged in good. We're gonna have to take the car apart to get to him!" Some one answered.

"Vell, hurry up!" Adam yelled. He turned back to Keith. "I'm going to start an IV in your hand, Keith. You vill feel a little pinch," He warned the boy. Keith did not whimper when the needle slid into the back of his hand. "Very good, Keith. Just stay vith me, okay?"

"Hurt…"

"I know, Keith, I know. Ve're vorking on getting you out of the car. Hear all dat noise? Dat's the Jaws of Life. It'll get you out of the car."

"Shark?" Keith asked, fading in and out of consciousness.

"No, Keith, a machine, not a shark," Adam managed a laugh.

Finally, the last of the car was cleared away from Keith. "Okay, Keith, ve're going to strap you to a back board and put you in the helicopter. Can you see it, Keith? It vill fly to the hospital on Talos Island. Little Sven wants to attend the Space Academy there when he's older. Vhat do you vant to be vhen you grow up?"

"Mecha pilot," Keith murmured.

"So does Sven. Maybe you two vill serve together," Adam suggested.

Keith smiled weakly then passed out. From a great distance, he could hear Adam scream "He's coding!" then he felt something hitting his chest. Finally, darkness, sweet pain-free darkness claimed him….

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"NO!" Keith screamed and sat up. He panted wildly looking around. He was in the hospital room, the one in the Castle of Lions. Dr. Gorma gripped Keith's shoulders, lightly shaking him.

"Captain, can you hear me?"

"Nani? It was a nightmare?" Keith looked around, wildly.

"We've been trying to wake you up for the past half hour. My cousin's drink shouldn't have put in this deep of sleep," Dr. Gorma looked over Keith.

"No, I was drugged," Keith glared at the nurse.

The nurse blanched. "Look, all those herbs don't work. I figured if I gave him a sedative, he'd sleep and think the herbs worked."

"How do you know that herbs don't work, Nurse Nancy?" Dr. Gorma demanded.

Nancy put her hands on her hips. "It's all mystical nonsense," She proclaimed.

"Mystical nonsense?" Dr. Gorma repeats. "When did you get your medical degree, Nurse? Never mind, you disobeyed the orders in Captain Kogane's files. Orders put there by his request. And, frankly, you're lucky that the herbs in that drink did not cross-react with the sedative!"

"Herbs are for cooking, not medicine!"

"If an adult patient wishes to be treated with leeches, you do it! Nancy, you are fired. I want you out of the Castle as soon as the sun rises!"

Nancy glared and looked to other nurses for support. All avoided her gaze. "Fine. I'll leave. I hated working here anyways!" She stormed off.

"Captain, I am so sorry this happened," Dr. Gorma apologized.

"It's not your fault, Doctor," Keith shook his head. He lay back.

"Do you need anything?"

"No. Yes, but I don't want to wake up Allura," Keith blushed.

"Understandable. I'll see you in the morning, Captain," Dr. Gorma left.

A few minutes later, Allura walked into the room. Keith sat back up. "Allura, what are you doing here?"

"Cheesy told me that you had a nightmare, so I decided to spend the rest of the night with you," Allura crawled into bed with Keith. She wasn't wearing her nightgown, but a pair of cotton jogging pants and Keith's red tee shirt. Keith tucked the covers around her and himself.

"How did Cheesy know I had a nightmare?"

"Simple. He was in your room, watching you. He's been keeping an eye on you every time you were alone," Allura explained.

Cheesy, the large, blue Papa Mouse, scampered up Keith's arm and onto his shoulder. Then, Cheesy did something that he never did before. He gave Keith a peck on the cheek, much like he often greeted Allura. "Thank you for watching over me, Cheesy," Keith said. He gently stroked the mouse's head. Cheesy squeaked and trilled.

"He says; he didn't mind watching over you. You've always been kind to him and his family," Allura translated. "Cheesy, you can go to your family now. I'll watch over Keith."

Cheesy nodded and saluted. Then he scurried off.

Keith rested his head on Allura's chest. She stroked his long black hair. "Rest, my Heart. I'll make sure you don't have another nightmare."

The next day, Keith woke up feeling more rested than he had in years. He nuzzled Allura's neck, waking her up. "Good morning, Love," Allura yawned and stretched.

"Morning. I could get used to waking up like this," Keith grinned.

"Me too. As soon as you're out of the infirmary, I'll talk to Coran about moving you into the Royal Apartment."

"Will you be joining me there?" Keith asked. "Before the wedding."

"Only if you want me to be there," Allura stroked Keith's chest.

"I want you there. I don't want to miss a moment with you," Keith kissed Allura. She pulled him closer. Keith's hands slid up under her shirt…

"Excuse me, Captain," Dr. Tumbletea walked into the room. With him was a physical therapist. Keith and Allura jerked apart. "Sorry to interrupt you, but I wanted to examine you and see if you're ready for release." Today he wore a wine-colored, leather mini-skirt, a gold blouse, and gold high heels.

"Oh, I think Keith's ready for a release," Allura grinned wickedly. Keith groaned.

Dr. Tumbletea chuckled. "That you are, Captain. Seriously, sit up and put your legs over the side of the bed."

"Okay," Keith did as he was told.

"Now, very slowly, stand up. Rob, you might want to stand in front of him to help him, just in case."

"Okay, Dr. Tumbletea." Rob stood in front of Keith. He rested hus hands on his shoulders. "Do it, Captain."

Slowly, Keith stood up for the first time since his attack. His legs wobbled then steadied. "Very good, Captain. Now, slowly, try walking. If you can, walk from your bed to the far wall."

"Okay, Doctor Tea," Keith gave the thumbs up. He walked, a bit stiffly at first, as he was told.

"Now turn around and walk back."

"Okay." Keith walked back to the bed.

"Any pain, tingling, anything like that?"

"No. Feels great to be walking again."

Dr. Tumbletea ran a scanner over Keith's back. "Everything is functioning as it should. Good. Well, Captain, there's no reason to keep you here any longer. As soon as you get dressed, you're free to leave. I have some papers for you to sign. I'll go and get them."

"YAY-HOO!" Keith jumped up and down. Allura giggled. As soon as Dr. Tumbletea was gone, Keith stripped off his hospital gown and pulled on the sweat pants and tee shirt that were in his room. "This will do until I can get to my room and put on some real clothes." He picked up his communicator and put it on his wrist. He clicked on it. "*Hey, Lance, guess what?*"

"*What?*" Lance asked back.

"*I've been sprung! I'm gonna pack up my stuff and go back to my room.*"

"*That's great! Do you need any help?*"

"*No, Allura's here. She can help me.*"

"*Oh, really?*" Lance's grin could be heard through the communicator.

"*Nothing happened, Mr. Pervert.*"

"*Too bad. I'll tell the rest of the team that you're a free man.*"

"*Thanks, Lance.*" Keith clicked off his communicator. "That Lance. Always has his mind in the gutter."

"Well, once we get to your room, something can happen," Allura suggested.

"I'm all for that. We didn't use up that box Lance gave us," Keith grinned.

"Oh really?" Allura threaded her arms around Keith's neck. "We can't have that, now can we."

"No we can't."

"You can get more right?" Allura asked.

"Sure, I know where to get them."

"Good," Allura pulled Keith's head down and kissed him.

Dr. Tumbletea shook his head. He remembered what it was like to be young and in love and horny. "Excuse me, Captain, but here are your discharge papers."

"Thank you, Doctor. Where do I sign to get out of here?"

"Right here," Dr. Tumbletea pointed to a spot on the papers. He handed Keith a fountain pen. Keith scribbled his rank then name on the paper. "Very good, Captain, you're free to go."

Keith and Allura quickly packed up his belongings, using a few boxes given to them by the nurses. They walked side by side out of the Infirmary. The trip to Keith's current room was short. Keith put his box down. "It feels good to be back. I could go for a hot shower."

"Would you like some company?" Allura asked hopefully.

"Of course," Keith pulled her close. He lowered his head to kiss her when the alarms went off. "Damn! Let's go!"

"This will be Iain's first fight," Allura said. "In the Lions I mean."

"Yeah. It'll be interesting to see how he fights in real life."

"I'll be monitoring from the Control Room," Allura dashed off one hallway while Keith ran towards the changing room.

Inside the changing room, Keith quickly stripped out of his clothes and pulled on the red and white space suit he wore in battle. "Iain, you ready? You'll be helming Blue Lion. Sven will be monitoring you in the Lion," Keith said.

"I'm ready, Captain!" Iain saluted.

"Iain, it's Keith."

"Yes, Captain."

Keith sighed and grabbed his red helmet. The six men ran to the Control Room. "What's the status, Coran?" Keith asked.

"One large coffin ship with several flights of Doom Ships," Coran reported. "The Air / Space Forces have scrambled to engage the Doom Ships."

"Good. We'll take care of the coffin ship and whatever is in it," Keith said. "Let's go to the Lions!"

"Keith," Allura called out before Keith could run towards the elevator. Keith stopped. Allura hugged him and kissed him. "Be careful."

"I will, I promise," Keith vowed. Keith jumped into the elevator and grabbed the T-Bar for the long ride that would take him to the Black Lion.

Once inside Black Lion, Keith took a moment to look around. There was no evidence of the damage that almost killed him. He took his key from his chest and put into the slot. Black Lion's eyes light up and the mighty Lion roared. "*This is Black Lion, now launching!*" Keith said into the COM system. Black Lion took off from the monument. "YES!" Keith exclaimed. He was airborne again. "*Okay, team, let's see what Lotor and Hagar have planned for us now!*"

"*Coffin ship heading towards Sector Alpha 23,*" Pidge said.

"*I see that, Pidge. Looks like the coffin ship is opening. Ready to form Voltron!*" Keith pushed a button on his console. A button that only the Black Lion had. "*Dynotherms connected. Infracels up. Megathrusters are go!*"

"*LET'S GO VOLTRON FORCE!*"

"FORM FEET AND LEGS!" Keith ordered.

"FORM ARMS AND BODY!"

"AND I'LL FORM THE HEAD!"

Voltron stood in the sunlight, battle ready. The robeast, a skeletal monster with horns covering its head, roared and rushed Voltron. Voltron jumped out of the way. "*Stingray Missiles!*" Keith ordered. Missiles fired out of the mouth of the Blue and Yellow Lions. The robeast howled and grabbed Voltron, spinning him around. The robeast let go and Voltron flew into the mountains. Keith's head slammed back against his seat hard enough to crack his helmet. His black eyes rolled back as he lost consciousness.

Voltron stood up and formed the Blazing Sword. "*Hey, Keith didn't give the command!*" Lance exclaimed over the COM. "*Keith? Red Lion to Black Lion, come in please.*" There was no response. "*Shit, not again!*" Lance swore. "*WHOA!*" Lance yelped as his Lion arm moved to block a blow from the robeast. Eyebeams fired out of Voltron and into the face of the robeast.

"*Who's controlling Black Lion?*" Pidge wondered as his Lion's torches fired.

"*If it's not Keith, then I don't know, Little Buddy,*" Hunk answered.

"*Captain, come in please,*" Iain tried to raise Keith again on the COM.


	10. Chapter 10

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**WARNING: THIS SECTION CONTAINS A SEX SCENE!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

Keith groaned and his eyes blinked. He looked around. "*Nani?*"

"*Keith, you're speaking in Japanese. Descramble your brain and speak in English, Big Brother,*" Lance said over the COM.

"*S…sorry, Lance. Holy Cheezits!*" Keith exclaimed as he looked at his controls. He looked out the viewing screen. He saw an opening. "*Stab now!*" He commanded.

The Blazing Sword went in between the rib bones of the robeast and struck the Lazon-fueled power plant. The robeast exploded.

"*Black Lion to Control Room, what is the status of the Doom Ships?*" Keith asked Coran.

"*Air/Space Forces report all Doom Ships destroyed.*"

"*Any KIA/WIA?*"

"*None KIA, ten WIA,*" Coran reported.

"*Very well. We're coming in then, Coran.*"

"*I'll have Dr. Gorma waiting in the Control Room to check you out, Captain,*" Coran said.

"*Yes, Coran,*" Keith sighed. "*Okay, Team, disengage and let's go home!*"

The Voltron Force exited the elevators. Dr. Gorma stood next to Coran and Allura with a hand-held scanner. "Just sit down, Captain. This won't hurt at all," Dr. Gorma promised.

Keith sighed and sat down. He removed his cracked helmet. "Oh, Keith, your helmet! How hard did you hit your head?" Allura exclaimed.

"I don't know. I don't remember hitting my head. Just getting spun around then waking up with Voltron running itself."

"Voltron was running on its own?" Coran repeated. "That's strange."

"That's an understatement," Keith rubbed his forehead. "As soon as I change, I'm going to see if King Alfor will talk to me."

"Have you tried to talk to him before?" Coran asked.

"No. This will be the first time," Keith said. "But I've been there when Allura's talked with him."

Dr. Gorma ran the scanner over Keith's head. "Well, Captain, you've given yourself a mild concussion. But I don't think you need to be monitored in the Infirmary."

"That's good, I just got out of that place," Keith said.

"You make it sound like it's prison," Dr. Gorma commented mildly.

"No, prisoners have the right to a speedy release," Keith argued.

"Captain, we had to keep you in the Infirmary after you woke up to monitor you. Besides as soon as you got your new spine, you were allowed to leave. And, you went and hurt yourself your first battle out!" Dr. Gorma scolded.

"Blame the robeast for spinning us around like that!" Keith snapped.

"Still, it doesn't bode well that you get hurt so frequently. You seem agitated. Maybe overnight monitoring in the Infirmary would be a good idea."

"No! I'm not going back there!" Keith crosses his arms over his chest.

Dr. Gorma raised his eyebrow. "I see. Are you equating my Infirmary with your stay on Planet Doom, perhaps?" He silently hit his wrist communicator, sending a signal to Dr. Tumbletea.

"No, I'm not," Keith admitted.

(Lady Ghenni's Dress Shoppe)

Dr. Nigel Tumbletea sorted through the bright summer frocks he had on his arm, trying to decide which one to try on first. "Honey, which do you think? The blue or the yellow?" He asked his wife, Major Helena Tumbletea.

"Blue. It matches your eyes," Helena said.

Before Dr. Tumbletea could try on his new dress, his wrist communicator went off. He clicked and listened, hearing Keith's complaints to Dr. Gorma. Dr. Tumbletea laughed. "Well I wondered when his stubborn side would show up. I know how to handle that. Excuse me, sir, but may I hold these dresses? I have something to take care of back at the Castle, but I will be back."

The dress shop clerk nodded his head. "Of course, Dr. Tumbletea. Take your time."

"I'll come with you, dear. It should be funny," Helena snickered.

(Castle of Lions, Control Room)

Dr. Tumbletea walked into the Control Room and put his hands on his hips. He glared at Keith. Keith glared right back. "So, Captain Kogane, you're being stubborn about going back to the Infirmary."

"I just spent two weeks there, I don't need to go back," Keith shook his head then winced at the pain.

"Well if you keep shaking your head, you'll end up back in the Infirmary! Now what would your Big Brother think of his Little Brother acting like a baby?"

"I'm not acting like a baby," Keith objected.

"Oh? Well I have a direct line to Captain Winnelli's wrist COM. Why don't I call him and we can find out," Dr. Tumbletea suggested.

Keith's face went white. "No, no, don't call Tony!"

"Why is Keith so afraid of this Tony?" Allura asked Lance.

"Because he can come down on you pretty hard if he thinks you're not acting right. He's always coming down on me, but he's the only one who could handle Keith when he got stubborn about not doing his PT when he was a kid. It only took once for Tony to tell Keith that, he, Tony, was disappointed in him and Keith straightened right up."

"I can't wait to meet this Big Brother of yours," Allura commented.

"Well, is there anything you have say to Dr. Gorma?" Dr. Tumbletea asked Keith.

Keith lowered his head gently. "I'm sorry, Dr. Gorma. And thank you for taking such good care of me," He said.

"You're welcome, Captain," Dr. Gorma smiled.

Dr. Tumbletea handed Allura a slip of paper. "This is the direct link number to Tony's COM. If Keith ever gives you a hard time, just call him."

"Thank you, Dr. Tumbletea," Allura grinned wickedly. Keith groaned.

Just then, the main COM came to life. "*HIGHLANDER to Castle Control, come in Castle Control,*" Tony Winnelli's deep voice came over the COM.

"*TONY!*" Keith exclaimed and grabbed the mike. "*How are you, Big Brother?*"

"*Doing good. Gio's pregnant with twins again and she's not listening to me,*" Tony grumbled.

"*So, it's normal then,*" Keith laughed. Lance, Hunk, Pidge and Sven snickered.

"*It's not funny, Keith!*"

"*Yes, it is!*"

"*Hey, Little Brother, congratulations on getting engaged. But, I'm afraid Gio and I can't make the wedding.*"

Keith's face fell. "*Oh no, why?*"

"*I can't tell you that, Little Brother. It's classified. Understand?*"

"*Yeah, I understand,*" Keith sighed.

"*I'll see you some time though, and we can catch up, how does that sound? I'll even bring some Earth beers.*"

"*Thank you, Tony!*"

"What's wrong with the beers you get here on Arus?" Allura asked.

"They're not beer, Princess. What you guys drink is nothing but watered down piss," Lance wrinkled his nose.

"Lance, Arusian beer is not that bad!" Allura objected.

"Wait until Tony comes with some Guinness. Then, you'll have real beer!" Lance said.

"The Princess should not drink beer!" Nanny scolded as she came into the Control Room. "Lunch is on the table in the dining room and it's getting cold!"

"Sorry, Nanny," Hunk said. "Well, guys, let's get changed and get some food! Keith, you joining us?"

"No. I'm not hungry. I think I'll just lay down with a hot cloth on my head," Keith said.

"I can give you a neck rub. Maybe that will help," Allura offered.

Tony laughed through the speakers. "*I'm still here, guys,*" He reminded them.

"*Sorry, Tony,*" Keith blushed.

"*That's okay. Get your neck rub, Little Brother, and enjoy it,*" Tony said with a laugh. "*And, I'll be in touch, I promise.*"

"*Okay, Tony. Bye. And be careful,*" Keith said.

"*I always am,*" Tony answered. "*Oh, one last thing… Graham's wedding invitation should get lost in the mail. Happens all the time. Even with diplomatic channels. I'll explain it when I see you. HIGHLANDER out.*"

"Now what on Arus did he mean by Graham's invitation should get lost in the mail?" Hunk asked.

"He means Graham's not to be invited, right?" Lance asked Keith.

"That's what I'm getting from it," Keith answered. "Tony doesn't like Graham, that's common knowledge, but I'm sure he had more reasons than just his dislike for Graham," He rubbed his head. "I'll think on it after I have some willow bark tea."

"Keith, an aspirin would work just as well," Lance shook his head.

"I don't like aspirin," Keith stood up. He started walking towards the changing room situated off the Control Room.

"I'll meet you in your room, Keith," Allura called out.

"Okay, Love."

Nanny pursed her lips together. "Coran, shouldn't you stop them from being alone together?"

"Why? The Princess is an adult. I'm sure she and Captain Keith are careful to avoid scandal. Besides, we almost lost the Captain a few weeks ago. It makes sense she wants to be with him," Coran shook his head.

"Still, they shouldn't be kissing like they do in public, it's indecent."

"Nanny, they're young and in love. Let them have this special time," Coran said firmly.

"But Coran…"

"Nanny, this discussion is over," Coran glared at Nanny.

Nanny bowed her head. "Yes, Master Coran."

In the changing room, Keith kicked off his boots and peeled off his gloves. "You did good today, Iain," He said while he unzipped his space suit.

"Thank you, sir," Iain smiled while struggling with his purple and white space suit. "I still haven't mastered these blasted suits, though. My zipper's stuck."

Lance laughed. "Here, let me help you," He said. He untangled the zipper. "There. Now you can undress yourself."

"Thank you, Commander," Iain said gratefully. He stripped off the suit and carefully hung it up in his locker.

Lance was not as careful with his suit as he hung it up. He glanced over at Keith and whistled. "There's no scar on your back! Hey, everyone check this out! Keith got a new spine and there isn't a scar left!"

Keith blushed. "Lance, it's no big deal. And, there is a small one at the top of my neck," He lifted his hair.

"Yeah, but it's a tiny little "Y". You'd think major surgery like that would leave a scar," Hunk commented after looking.

"Dr. Tumbletea has been working on a new technique that minimizes scarring during surgeries and repairing wounds," Pidge said. He looked up and down Keith's back. "Looks like it's working."

"I'm just glad he didn't mess up my tattoo," Keith said as pulled on his red sweat pants.

"When are you gonna get another one?" Lance asked.

"I don't know. I was gonna ask Tony after the wedding. I want something with Allura's name or her picture. I don't know."

Lance laughed. "Well you have time to make up your mind. Sounded like Tony was pretty busy. Doing what I have no idea. So are you really going to skip Graham's invite?"

"I have to talk to Allura about it, but I think so."

"I wish Tony wouldn't be so mysterious."

"He doesn't trust the Castle's COMs," Keith shook his head. He pulled on his tee shirt and slipped back into the bedroom slippers.

"Aren't you gonna get a shower here?" Lance asked.

"Nope. I'm going to get one in my room. That was what I was about to do when the alarms went off," Keith said.

"Oh, so you and the Princess have plans," Lance grinned evilly. Keith blushed. "Have fun, Big Brother!"

Keith stuck out his tongue then left the changing room.

Keith strolled into his room and found Allura sitting on his bed. "Hello," He hugged her. "I missed you."

"Hmm, and I was only out of your sight for a few minutes," Allura said as she snuggled into his embrace.

"I miss having you by my side in battle, too," Keith said, stroking her hair.

"It was strange watching the battle from the Control Room after two years of fighting," Allura stroked Keith's chest. "You know, let's forget about the war for a while," She pulled his head down and kissed him.

Keith picked up Allura and carried her to his bed gently laying her down on it and kissed her again. With one hand he pulled her shirt free and lifted it up until Allura's arms were trapped above her and exposing her breasts before he lowered his dark head, suckling on the pink nipples. Allura arched up loving the sensation of Keith's lips on her body and her very sensitive nipples. Winding her fingers through Keith's long hair, Allura pulled Keith closer, craving more from him only to feel Keith slowly kiss his way down her torso and stopping at the edge of her pants. As Keith stopped Allura pulled her shirt the rest of the way off and tossing it to the side.

Ever so slowly Keith unsnapped the buttons on Allura's pants and unzipped them before he started to pull them down until they were off and he tossed them to the side. Resting his head on Allura's bare stomach Keith gave it a light kiss, "I love you Allura," he whispered

"I love you too, Keith," Allura answered as she stroked Keith's long hair, running her fingers through it. "But you're over dressed," she teased gently.

Standing and in two short moves Keith stripped off his shirt and sweat pants, "Is this better?" He asked as he stood naked before Allura

"Much," Allura held out her arms. Keith crawled across the bed and into her arms kissing Allura.

"Mmm, I love your kisses," Allura nuzzled Keith's neck, sucking on the skin until she knew she left a mark

"Hey!" Keith laughed, but privately he rather liked it when Allura marked him that way and he ran his hands down Allura's body finally stopping to rest in between her legs. He could feel the wetness pooling there by her lips, kissing her neck, "You feel so wet love, so ready…"

Allura reached over and grabbed a foil-wrapped circle from the box on Keith's nightstand. "I am ready," She purred. Opening the foil Allura took the rubber and placed it on the head of Keith's hard shaft, slowly rolling it down inch by inch all the while she ran one hand down the shaft until all of him was covered now. Suddenly, Keith rolled so that he was flat on the bed and Allura straddling him now, her breasts hanging down briefly until Keith took them in his hands. "I want to watch you move as we make love," Keith growled softly. Allura smiled saucily and grasped his shaft as she lifted herself up and positioned it, then slowly lowered herself onto it, taking her time not to rush but savor the feeling for both of them as she took more and more of Keith inside of her until her hips were flat against him. Groaning at how Keith filled her up Allura started to move, loving how she was feeling, how Keith was making her gasp with every movement of his shaft inside of her. Suddenly Keith grasped her hips and thrust himself into her and Allura threw her head back, "OH GODDESS!! YES!!" She could feel the lovely tension in her body growing wildly now with each up thrust and down motion and Allura used her muscles to squeeze Keith's shaft inside of her. Leaning down Allura felt Keith sit up enough to stark sucking on one of her breasts, nibbling the nipple while his other hand held her hip and slid over to her butt where he squeezed it. Allura sat up put pulled Keith's head with her, not wanting to lose that contact on her body. "Goddess Keith, you feel so good…so hard." Allura said but Keith didn't answer, he pulled Allura close enough so he could kiss her and Allura opened her mouth, letting Keith's tongue play with hers.

It was getting harder to concentrate on anything other than the growing sensations inside her body. Groaning as she rode Keith's shaft inside her, Allura moved and gasped more.

"You feel so good love," Keith said as he fought to hold back the rising pressure and he took Allura by the hips and thrust himself up into her, his hands going back to Allura's breasts.

"OH GODDESS, YES! I'M COMING" Allura screamed as she felt her body peak and Keith followed her a minute later

Lost in passion, neither Keith nor Allura heard the door swish open. Pidge walked in, a question on his lips. He stopped as his stunned eyes took in Allura riding Keith. He watched as the pair shuddered, Allura shouting out "Oh, sweet Goddess!" Allura stretched out on top of Keith and the pair kissed. "You're amazing," Allura said as she stroked Keith's sweaty hair and rested her body on Keith's.

"Uhh…" A strangled noise escaped from Pidge.

Keith and Allura looked over and identical scowls crossed their faces. "DARRELL!" Keith roared. Pidge winced at the use of his first name. "What are you doing here?"

"I had to ask you a question…"

"What is it?" Keith demanded.

"I…I…forgot!" Pidge wailed.

"How long have you been here?" Allura snapped.

"Long enough," Pidge whimpered. "Excuse me," Pidge scurried out of Keith's room.

Keith flopped back onto his bed. Allura giggled. "Poor Pidge, he looked so shocked."

"Yeah well, he hasn't had the Talk. He was too young for the Academy class before we left for Arus."

"There's a class on sex at the Space Academy?" Allura stroked Keith's chest.

"Yep. You take it when you turn 13. Basically, you're taught about sex and birth control and given a talk that boils down to "Don't knock up the general's daughter"," Keith explained. "But, like I said, Pidge was too young for the Class."

"And, now what happens to Pidge?" Allura asked.

"I have to give him the Talk," Keith sighed. "I'm not looking forward to it. I hated the Class. It was so embarrassing."

"Poor Keith," Allura rubbed Keith's shoulders.

Outside Keith's room, Pidge rested against the wall. Lance walked by and noticed the distraught look on his face. "What's wrong, Pidge?"

"I was just inside to see Keith to ask him…something…I forget, but I saw him!"

"You saw Keith, and that upset you?" Lance asked, confused.

"I saw Keith and Allura…They were naked…Allura was on top of Keith!" Pidge exclaimed.

A smirk crossed Lance's face as he understood what distressed Pidge. "Welcome to the grown up world of Sex, Pidge," Lance laughed.

"It's not funny, Lance! I saw them… I'll never be able to look them in the eye again!" Pidge wailed.

"It's okay, really. I'm sure Keith's not too upset…"

"Yes he is. He used my real first name."

"He'll get over it," Lance said. "I've known Keith all my life. He doesn't hold grudges for very long." Lance leaned closer to Pidge. "So what did you see?"

"I'm not telling you!" Pidge exclaimed. "Keith would kill me! Excuse me; I need some brain bleach or something." Pidge pushed away from Lance and ran back to his room.

After a shared shower, Keith and Allura emerged from his room. Holding hands, they strolled down to the crypt beneath the palace. Keith squeezed Allura's hand then called out "King Alfor? It's me, Keith Kogane. I need to speak with you."

A soft blue light filled the crypt and King Alfor appeared. "^I knew you were coming, young Keith,^" Alfor said. "^Speak so that I may ease your troubled mind.^"

"Sire," Keith started, but Alfor interrupted him.

"^Please, call me Father. You will be married to my daughter soon.^"

"Father, something happened with Voltron during the battle. He went, well, solo for lack of a better term."

"^Solo? I see. There is nothing to fear, young Keith. You merely encountered the spirit of my cousin, Prince Abraxis Volronos.^"

"Your cousin's spirit is in Voltron?"

"^Yes, Abraxis was one of our greatest warriors. Our enemies could not touch him. Only cancer could bring him down. He begged me to fuse his spirit into Voltron so that he could continue to defend Arus. Even though it would mean his death. It would be a death with dignity and a death for a higher calling.^"

Keith frowned as he took in what King Alfor's spirit told him. He wondered if he could give up his life like that. Give up his soul like that. "So, Prince Abraxis is now a part of Voltron?"

"^Yes. He is bonded to the power crystal in the Black Lion. Surely you sensed his presence before now, Keith?^"

"Well, I thought I heard voices in the Black Lion before, but I thought I was imagining it."

"^What did the voices tell you?^"

"Advice on fighting. I thought it was in my own head," Keith admitted.

Alfor chuckled. "^No, my boy, it was Abraxis. Listen to him when he speaks to you. He's very wise in the ways of battles and he knows the Black Lion better than you do seeing as he's a part of it now.^"

"I will, Father," Keith nodded his head. "Will Abraxis take over Voltron again?"

"^Only if he feels you are in true danger of dying, Keith. Is there anything else you wish to speak of, Keith?^"

"Yes, Father. In your journals, you, well, wrote some things that didn't make any sense. About the Blood of a Hero and sharing spirits," Keith shook his head in confusion. "And, Black Lion flew solo."

Alfor looked sadly at Keith. "^I was afraid this would come to pass. Part of your spirit, your soul, now also resides in Voltron, Keith.^"

"What does that mean?" Keith asked, afraid.

Alfor sighed and put a spectral hand on Keith's shoulder. "^I'm sorry, son, but when you die, your soul will reside in Voltron, forever…^"

Dinner was a quiet affair. Lance knew that *something* was bothering his best friend. Keith just picked at his food and his eyes were wet with unshed tears. Allura kept rubbing Keith's back, ignoring her own plate. Lance wiped his mouth and said "Keith, why don't you tell us what's upsetting you so much?"

Keith looked up, shocked out of his misery. "It's kinda hard to explain," Keith started. "But I got some well, bad news from King Alfor today," He said. Then, he went into what the spectral King told him about his future.

"That's bullshit!" Lance slammed his napkin down. "He's wrong! There's gotta be away to prevent your soul from going into Black Lion!"

"King Alfor didn't seem to think that there was a way to prevent it," Keith pointed out.

"So? He has to have made notes when he was building Voltron and when he put Abraxis' soul into it. So there has to be a way to reverse things!" Lance exclaimed.

"I agree with Lance," Pidge said. "All we have to do is find the notes. Do you know where they might be, Princess?"

Allura thought for a moment. "In his laboratory. But I don't know where it would be now. It could be buried under tons of rock from when the second Castle came up."

"We'll have to find it. Do you know where it had been?" Lance asked.

"I can show you on a map. I was never allowed in there. Coran might know," Allura said. "I have memories of Coran going down to the lab, mainly to bring my father food and remind him that he other duties besides creating Voltron."

"I'll talk to Coran and get the coordinates of the King's lab," Lance stood up.

"I'll go with you, Lance," Keith said quietly. "It's my soul that's at stake."

"Sure. He's probably in his office right now, thinking up more stuff for you to learn," Lance said.

"Yeah. Oh, Pidge, you and I need to talk. After our meeting with Coran, I want you in my office," Keith said to the youngest member of his team.

"Yes, Keith," Pidge winced. As soon as Keith left, Pidge groaned "I'm dead, I know it."

Keith knocked on the door to Coran's office. A muffled "Come in," came from inside. Keith opened the door and Keith and Lance walked in. "Captain Keith, Commander Lance, what is wrong?" Coran took in the worried looks on the young men's faces.

"We need to find King Alfor's laboratory," Keith said. "It's important."

"Oh dear, I haven't been there since the King's death. Why do you want to go to the lab?" Coran asked.

"We need some of his notes from when he created Voltron," Keith answered honestly.

"Very well," Coran stood up and dug through some papers in a filing cabinet. "Here's a map I made that leads to the King's lab," He handed Keith a yellowed piece of paper. "What do you need from the notes?" Coran asked, curious.

Keith frowned. "I have to get my soul back," He said.

"What?" Coran sputtered. Keith sighed and explained what King Alfor told him. "Oh my, I see. Well, if you need any more help, let me know."

"We will, Coran. And thank you."

"I'm glad I could be of some assistance."

Outside Coran's office, Hunk, Sven, the Princess, Iain, and Pidge waited for Keith and Lance. When they emerged, Allura said "We're coming with you, Keith."

"What if there's an attack?" Keith asked.

"Coran can notify us through our wrist COMs," Hunk said. "I boosted the power out put when I upgraded them two months ago."

Keith shook his dark head. "Okay, you guys can come too. And, thanks. Let's get some supplies together and go."

"You got it, Skipper!" Pidge said.


	11. Chapter 11

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

The King's Lab was build into the rock that the Castle sat on top of. A long tunnel led to the Lab. Water trickled down the walls. Lance swung his flash light around. "You know what this reminds me of?" He asked Keith.

"That time we got lost in those tunnels under the City?" Keith responded. "Me too."

"What happened?" Allura inquired.

"Well, it started two days after our thirteenth birthday and we were finally allowed half day passes off Talos Island…" Keith started.

**********

Cadets Keith Kogane and Lance McCastlin strolled through the streets of their beloved San Francisco in their white cadet uniforms. It was two days after their thirteenth birthday and they were allowed half day, unsupervised passes off Talos Island. Each boy carried a bag from Empire Records. Keith looked at his wrist Com, which also doubled as a watch. "It's almost lunch time. How about we go to Mama Chin's Cafe?" He ran his credit card through a reader attached to a stand that sold crystals and herbs. After looking at the total, he said "I have enough on me for lunch."

"I do too," Lance said after checking his card. "But I'm not in the mood for Chinese. How about Space Burgers? There's a place right across the street."

"Okay. I haven't had a Cherry-Lime Galaxy Milk Shake in ages!" Keith agreed quickly. The boys started across the busy street. Suddenly, a police hover car stopped in front of them and two officers jumped out. The officers grabbed the boys and threw them onto the floor of the back seat. Then, the officers got back into the front seats of the car and sped off.

"Hey, we have legal passes!" Lance protested.

"Yeah! I want a lawyer!" Keith added. "Where are you taking us?"

"You'll find out when we get there, now stay down!" The Black Officer said. His tag proclaimed him to be Officer Martin Green.

The police drove the boys to SFPD 630 on Valencia Street. The Officer led the boys past people paying parking tickets and people waiting to be booked. He took them down a long hallway that ended in a set of steep steps. "Go down the steps," Green ordered. He gave the boys a shove. Keith and Lance stumbled down the steps and paused at a heavy door. "This is our secure holding area. You'll stay here until your parents pick you up." He opened up the door and waved the boys inside.

"Don't we get a phone call?" Keith asked. "We'll be AWOL in three hours!"

"You'll get one soon enough, now, get into that cell," Green pushed the boys into a cell and locked the door. "I'll be right outside of the door if you need anything." With that, Green left the room.

Keith slammed his fist into the wall. "I can't believe this!"

"Calm down, Keith. It's probably just some crazy mistake. I'm sure they'll let us go before we're AWOL. I hope we get some lunch, I'm starving. And they have to feed us! It's part of the Geneva Convention," Lance said and sat down on the bed.

Keith continued to pace back and forth. "I hope so. I don't want being AWOL on my record. Tony's gonna be pissed."

"What for? We didn't do anything wrong. We had legal passes!"

Three hours passed with no food much to Lance's chagrin. Keith looked at his watch. "15:01. It's official. We're now AWOL," Keith slumped down into a corner.

"And, we're going to miss dinner. It's chocolate cake for dessert tonight!" Lance groaned.

"You sound like Hunk," Keith chuckled. Keith paused. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Lance asked, cocking his head towards the door.

"I swear I just heard laser fire."

Just then, Officer Green ran into the secure holding area. His dark face was ashen. He threw open the cell door and pushed Keith and Lance ahead of him. "Go down the hallway!"

"What's going on?" Keith demanded as they ran down the hallway.

"Several people are shooting up the station and they're heading this way!" Green yelled. The hallway lead to a dead end. Before Lance and Keith could protest, Officer Green pushed a button on the wall and a panel rolled up, revealing tunnels. "These tunnels go all over the city. Get in them and hide. Here, I know you boys know how to use these," Green handed the boys laser pistols.

Suddenly the door blew off its hinges. "GO!"

Keith and Lance jumped into the tunnels while Green covered the door. A laser bolt shot through Green's chest and into the pipes behind the boys. Water, sewage and shrapnel slammed into the boys. "OW!" Keith exclaimed and grasped his shoulder.

"C'mon!" Lance grabbed Keith.

The boys ran into the tunnels. The tunnels twisted and turned with many avenues branching off the main tunnel. Water dripped everywhere and rats swam through the murky water. Keith and Lance scurried through the tunnels, taking different turns with each pass. Soon, the boys were lost in the maze. Keith paused and leaned against the slimy wall. "Keith?" Lance asked.

"My shoulder. Hurts," Keith panted through gritted teeth.

Lance examined Keith's shoulder in the gloom. "You've got a lot of metal in there, but at least it's not bleeding, much," Lance said, trying to cheer up his friend. "I probably got some metal in me too."

Suddenly Keith shushed Lance. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"Some one else is in these tunnels," Keith whispered.

"One of the guys who shot up the police station?" Lance whispered back.

"That's my guess. C'mon, let's get moving."

"Sure," Lance agreed then yelped. "Something bit me!"

"I think it was a rat," Keith knelt down. "Yep. Rat bite."

"Great, just great!" Lance seethed. "I hate rats!"

**********

"How did you boys get out of there?" Allura looked at her fiancée and her friend.

"Turns out, Tony was looking for us…" Keith answered.

**********

Unbeknownst to the boys, Tony Winnelli had slipped into the tunnels shortly after the assassin. Dressed in black fatigues with the skull painted on his face, Tony was hunting the hunter. He had already killed the rest of the shooters in the police station. He paused then ran in the direction of Lance's yelp. He knew the assassin would home in that noise. *Damn,* He thought as he took the twists and turns, following the almost invisible trail of the assassin. As he neared the assassin, he heard Lance exclaim "I hate rats!" Soon, Tony could hear Lance and Keith's foot steps echoing in the tunnels. *Kids don't even know how to walk quietly,* Tony groaned mentally.

Keith and Lance ran through the tunnels and into a dead end. "Great, double back?" Lance asked.

"We have to. You'd think we would have found a door or a grate or something by now," Keith sighed and rubbed his shoulder.

"We don't even know where in San Francisco we are... are we even in the City still?" Lance said.

"I don't know. And we won't know until we find a way out of here."

Before Lance could answer, a tall figure blocked the entrance to the rest of the tunnels. "You boys aren't going anywhere," A gravely voice informed them. Instinctively, Keith and Lance flattened themselves against the sides of the walls. Laser fire echoed through the tunnels as the assassin fired two pistols. Laser bolts grazed passed the boys. Before the assassin could fire again, a figure in black grabbed him.

"You just made your last mistake, asshole," Tony growled. He pulled out his trusty, black K-Bar knife and slit the throat of the assassin. Pinkish Drul blood sprayed over the tunnels. The assassin made some odd gurgling sounds as he bled out and died.

"TONY!" Keith and Lance exclaimed with relief. The boys limped over to Tony and clung to him.

"Hey there, Little Brothers, it's okay. Let's get out of here," Tony rubbed their backs.

"What about that guy?" Keith asked.

"Leave him for the rats," Tony kicked the corpse. "C'mon," He lead the boys out of the tunnels and back to the police station. With a mighty heave, he pushed up the panel. He picked up Keith and Lance and set them back into the police station, then he jumped up into the station. "Try not to disturb anything," Tony said, guiding the boys past markers that indicated where a body fell.

Soberly, the boys walked up the stairs and into the main part of the station. Markers littered the floor while CSI teams gathered evidence.

"Did anyone survive?" Lance asked, a lump in his throat. "Officer Green?"

"You two did. Officer Green gave his life to keep you two safe," Tony shook his head. "He left behind a wife and two small kids." Keith and Lance looked down at their dirty feet.

"Will you let us know when the funeral is?" Keith asked.

"I will. And I'll pick you up at the ferry landing. Wear your cadet dress whites, this will be a police funeral," Tony said.

"Yes, Tony," Keith answered for both of them.

"Now, let's get both of you back to Talos Island and to the Infirmary," Tony said as the trio walked outside.

"KEITH! LANCE!" Charli McCastlin yelled as soon as she saw her wayward sons. "We've been so worried about you!" She hugged them both close to her. "Oh, dear, you're both bleeding!"

"I was just about to take them back to Talos Island. Two medical teams are standing by, Aunt Charli," Tony said.

"We're coming with you boys," Charli said firmly. Caleb nodded his head in agreement.

"Of course, Aunt Charli, Uncle Caleb. I have a car with me we can all use," Tony motioned to a heavily armored vehicle. "And don't worry about getting the inside all mucked up. It's designed to handle that sort of thing." Tony ushered the boys into the car. Tony jumped into the driver's seat. Caleb sat up front with Tony while Charli sat with the boys. After a quick drive to the docks, the boys were helped into a hover craft. Tony maneuvered the craft through the choppy waters of the Bay. Silently, Keith thanked God that they had not had any food at the police station. As it was, he felt like he was going to throw up at any moment.

"Mom, Dad, Keith's looking kinda green!" Lance exclaimed.

Caleb grabbed a trashcan and held it for Keith while the boy emptied the contents of his stomach, not that there was much for Keith to throw up. Charli rubbed Keith's back while he got sick. Lance edged away from his best friend, his own stomach starting to get queasy. Charli looked over the boys. "Tony, hurry up, they're going into shock!"

"Okay, Aunt Charli. Hang on, everyone!" Tony increased the speed, pushing the craft to the limit. A few minutes later, the hover craft landed on a sandy beach, near the Island's hospital. Just as Tony promised, two medical teams were standing by. The teams carried Keith and Lance out of the hover craft and put them onto gurneys. Then, the boys were hurried off to the hospital.

Tony did not wait for news on Keith and Lance. Instead, he went back to the City, to help in the hunt for the people who had hired the assassins. Caleb paced back and worth in the waiting room.

"Dammit, it was close this time. Very close. If Tony hadn't found the boys..."

"I know," Charli shook her head. "What possessed the boys to go out in their uniforms?"

"It was probably Keith's idea. He loves the uniform. Oh well, we'll have to talk to them about it," Caleb answered, still pacing.

"Tony'll probably talk to them. They'll listen to Tony when they won't listen to us, especially Keith," Charli said honestly. "Maybe if we told Keith the truth he'd be more careful," She suggested.

"No. He's only 13. He's not old enough to understand. And, it would frighten him and he'd ask questions. Questions that we can't answer for him right now. No, we've done fairly well protecting him for the past seven years. There's no need to change anything."

"But he'll be grown up soon. I heard his Mecha piloting teacher, Captain Ichijyo, says that Keith's the most skilled pilot he's had in ages. Ichijyo is saying that Keith could be sent on missions as soon as next year. How can we protect him then?" Charli sighed.

"What? Keith out on missions at fourteen? That won't happen. General Winnelli won't let it happen. We'd better talk to Ichijyo and see where he's getting the pressure from."

"I can guess where he's getting the pressure from. Graham," Charli spat out the Space Marshall's name.

Before Caleb could respond, a nurse came out. "Mr. and Mrs. McCastlin?"

"That's us," Caleb said, finally stopping his pacing. "How are Keith and Lance?"

"They'll be fine in time. They're going to be spending the next few days in the Infirmary, though. Thanks to the sewage they were exposed to, they'll need a few days of high-powered IV antibiotics," The nurse said.

"Can we see them?" Charli asked.

"This way. They're still asleep from the medication we gave them."

The nurse lead Charli and Caleb into a room with a Storm Rider guard in front of it. The guard gave a subtle salute to Charli and Caleb once the nurse was not looking. Inside, in two separate beds, Keith and Lance rested. Nasal canulas supplied the boys with supplemental oxygen while IVs pumped the antibiotics and fluids into their veins. Charli stroked Lance's short, light brown hair.

"My poor babies."

"Momma?" Lance murmured, briefly waking up.

"I'm here, sweetie," Charli said softly.

"Keith okay?"

"Keith's fine. He's in the bed next to yours."

"Kay," Lance drifted back off to sleep.

A few hours later, Keith woke up and looked around with glazed eyes. "Keith?" Caleb whispered. Keith looked confused at his uncle and nodded his head. "You're in the Infirmary on Talos Island.

Lance is in the bed next to you. You'll both be okay." Keith nodded again then fell back asleep.

**********

"So, what were Mr. and Mrs. McCastlin protecting you from, Keith?" Pidge asked, interrupting the tale. "They didn't mention anything when they told us about your parents."

"I don't know," Keith sighed. "Sven, do you know?"

Sven frowned. "I know, but it's not my place to tell. It's up to Tony. He'll tell you when he sees you again," He said after a moment's thought.

"Boy, you Storm Riders sure love your secrets," Lance grumbled.

"What happened next, Keith?" Allura asked, holding Keith's hand.

"We spent four days in the Infirmary. After our discharge, Lance wanted to go back to his room but I wanted to see Tony…"

**********

Four days later, the doctors released Keith and Lance from the Infirmary. Sven brought clean uniforms for the boys to change into. "So, you two ready to go back to your room?" Sven asked.

"I am. I'm even looking forward to food from the mess hall!" Lance rubbed his stomach. "What about you, Keith? You barely ate anything at all."

"I'm just not hungry. Look, I'm going to go and see Tony," Keith said.

"Sure. I'll meet you back at our room," Lance nodded his head.

Keith smiled then walked out of the Infirmary. The stroll towards Tony's small house on Talos Island was short, but the cool air felt good after several days in the Infirmary. Tony's house was on the beach and away from the Officer's Housing that took up most of the beach front property that was not given over to military practice. Keith knocked on the door once and opened it. "Tony? Gio?" He called out. He walked into the living and stopped dead in his tracks. Tony and his fiancée, Giovanna MacDonald, were kissing passionately on the couch. Keith's face turned red and a trickle of blood escaped from his nose. "Um...I'll just go."

Tony and Gio separated and laughed. "It's okay, Little Brother. Get your ass in here," Tony said. Still blushing, Keith stepped into the living room. Gio went into the kitchen for a cold wash rag.

She cleaned up Keith's face. "So, Little Brother, did you sneak out of the Infirmary?"

"No, I was released. I just didn't feel like going back to my room," Keith answered honestly. He sat down on Tony's easy chair. The massive chair, designed to hold Tony's 6'6" frame, swallowed Keith up.

"Is something bothering you, Little Brother?" Tony asked. Keith nodded his head. "Is about what happened in the Police Station?"

"Yeah. I don't understand why the Police Station was targeted like that. And the guy you killed in the tunnel. He was a Drul."

"What I'm about to tell you, doesn't go beyond here, got it, Keith?" Keith nodded. "The some sects of the Russian Mob have made alliances with the Drules. It was one of those families that shot up the station," Tony answered.

"But why?" Keith persisted. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"The Russian Mob doesn't care who they hurt. That's how they are. They have no sense of honor or patriotism. Anything else bothering you, Little Brother?"

"There is," Keith looked down. "Why did Officer Green grab us off the street like that?"

"Because I asked him too. The area you were in is a hot spot for the Russian Mob. There has been some friction between the Russians and the Chinese lately and it's spilled over into the streets in that neighborhood."

"You were following us?" Keith asked.

"Two kids out on a half day pass in the City? What do you think, Little Brother? Officer Green told me he found two cadets in uniform wondering around in that area. So I ordered him to grab you two and keep you until I could get there," Tony looked sad. "I wish I had gotten there sooner."

"Lance thinks that we shouldn't have worn our uniforms," Keith said.

"Lance was right, Keith. You don't see me wearing my uniform when I'm in the City. Next time, clear it with me on where you two plan on going and wear street clothes," Tony ordered. "I'm serious, Keith."

"Okay, Tony," Keith agreed. "I guess I wanted to stick out. Silly.... and it almost got me and my best friend killed. I doubt we'll ever get another pass before Graduation."

"Don't worry about it, Little Brother. You'll get another pass. You okay, Keith?" Tony asked suddenly, noticing that during their conversation, Keith kept rubbing his injured shoulder and sweat beaded on his face.

"I don't feel good," Keith admitted.

Tony went into the kitchen and opened his massive first aid kit. He picked out a strong antibiotic and an immune-boosting home remedy that he learned from Keith's parents. He added in a powerful sedative. He mixed it all together and went back into the living room. "Here, Keith, drink this. Don't worry, it's natural."

Keith drank the dark mixture and blinked his eyes. He leaned against Tony and fell asleep. Tony carried Keith into his bedroom. Tony removed Keith's shirt and examined his shoulder. The shoulder was red and the stitches had stretched out. "Gio, call my uncle and have him get over here immediately."

"On it!" Gio ran to the video phone and dialed a number. After a few seconds, Dr. Nigel Tumbletea answered, wearing a simple blue and yellow dress. "Uncle Nigel, get over here fast and bring your black bag." Gio said.

"I'll be right over," Dr. Tumbletea said and signed off.

A few minutes later, Dr. Tumbletea ran into the house. "Where's the patient?" He asked.

"In our bedroom," Gio said and pointed the way.

In the bedroom, Tony ran a scanner over Keith's shoulder. "Damn it! There's still metal in his shoulder!" He growled. "What was it amateur night at the ER?"

"That's what I'm wondering," Dr. Tumbletea read the results of the scanner. He pulled on gloves and handed Tony a pair. Tony cut out the old stitches and Dr. Tumbletea dug out the offending pieces of metal. Then he flushed out the wound and restitched it up. Tony smeared a pink gel, made from one of Akira Kogane's home recipes, on the wound. Dr. Tumbletea bandaged it back up.

"Don't tell Keith about this. As far as he knows, he came here and fell asleep. And, he's allowed to stay here whenever he wants. Lance too," Tony ordered.

"No problem, Tony," Dr. Tumbletea nodded his head in agreement. Dr. Tumbletea ruffled Keith's short, black hair. "Poor dear. Hard to believe he's going to be King of Arus in a few years."

"What if he doesn't survive, then what, Uncle?"

"Then Arus, the entire sector, is doomed."

**********

"You heard them?" Sven stopped in his tracks. "Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I thought it was a crazy dream. I didn't even know where or what Arus was. So, I just shrugged it off as a nutty stress dream. I have a lot of those," Keith admitted.

"Like one about the disembodied head of Kermit the Frog going "Hi, ho, I'm going to kill you!"?" Lance asked his best friend.

Keith blushed. "Yes, like that one."

**********

Keith woke up the next morning feeling better than he had since the day in the tunnels. He looked around, confused on where he was at first. Then Gio stuck her head into the room. "Well, Sleeping Beauty about time you woke up. Come on, get a shower and I'll have breakfast for you. Tony went and got you some new clothes."

"Okay, Gio," Keith got out of bed. "I slept in my uniform?"

"It's okay, we won't tell anyone," Gio laughed.

Keith scurried into the bathroom. He carefully took off his uniform and straightened it out. He hung it on a hanger then stepped into the hot shower. He quickly washed up then dried off. He changed into a new pair of jeans, a red sleeveless tee shirt and a new pair of steel toed combat boots. Keith stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen. Gio smiled at him. "You look good, Little Brother."

Keith blushed. "Thanks," He sat down to a plate of southwestern omelet, lean country ham, and a large glass of milk.

"Now, eat everything on your plate. You need to build up your muscles," Gio said.

"Yes, Gio," Keith smiled and dug into the food. He was hungrier than he wanted to admit. "This is good. I didn't eat much in the Infirmary. The food was worse than the Academy's food!"

Gio roared with laughter. "Once you finish up, I'm taking you to Ma and Pa Winnelli's place. All your home work is there, waiting for you."

"I must have a ton! Not to mention all the class work I have to make up!" Keith moaned.

"Nah, you only have to make up some sim time for class work. You've got about four hours of home work and a few tests to take," Gio shook her head. "Let's go, Little Brother."

Gio got onto her 2100 Harley S-Sportster. "Hop on, Little Brother." Keith jumped onto the bike, behind Gio and wrapped his arms around her waist. Gio sped through Talos Island and onto the bridge that connected the Island to the City. She drove Keith to the Winnelli's restaurant.

A shocking sight awaited him inside the restaurant. Sitting at a table were Jin Tanaka, the Oyabun or the leader of the Yakuza in San Francisco, Chen Sun-Li, the leader of the Chinese Triad, Marco Colonna, the head of the Italian Mafia in the City, Anna Winnelli, an SFPD officer, and her husband, then Col. Gabe Winnelli, all have coffee or tea and eating Anna's home made fudgy brownies.

Keith politely bowed to Tanaka and Sun-Li, then shook hands with Colonna and Winnelli. He hugged Anna and received a brownie for the hug. "Your homework is in the back room, Keith. If you need anything just ask. Oh your tests are open book."

"Thank you, Aunt Anna," Keith smiled at her. Keith walked into the back room of the restaurant. As he left, the conversation he had interrupted resumed. Keith could not shake the sneaky suspicion that he was the topic of the conversation...

**********

"So did you ever find out what the conversation was about, Sir?" Iain asked.

"Nope. Every time I asked Aunt Anna or Uncle Gabe, they'd clam up about it and offer me candy instead," Keith answered. "But I remember Don Colonna visiting me in the hospital after my parents died. He brought me a big cooler filled with food. To put meat on my bones, he said. And, Tanaka-San helped me with my Japanese while Mr. Sun-Li helped me with my Chinese when I got older and wanted to learn more about my heritage. In fact, Tanaka-san taught me to fight with two Katanas like my father did. Apparently, they trained under the same weapons master."

"More Storm Rider secrets," Lance said.

"Lance, maybe things are kept secret for a reason," Sven supposed.

"Well, Keith and I aren't little kids any more. We can be trusted, but Tony keeps treating us like children!" Lance snapped. Sven fumed.

"Keith, I think Lance is upsetting Sven," Allura whispered in Keith's ear.

Keith nodded his head. "Lance, cool it, now."

"No, Keith. I'm tired of being treated like I'm too stupid to understand things or worse like I'm going to turn traitor at any moment!"

Tiredly, Keith said "I don't like secrets either, Lance, but I'm sure our family had a good reason to keep things secret."

"No, Tony just wants to keep us as his Little Brothers. He refuses to see us as adults. Ones that are quite capable!" Lance shouted.

"Don't talk about Tony like that!" Sven growled.

"Oh I forgot, you're one of Tony's men. So, Sven, how did a Storm Rider end up on the Voltron Force? Are you a spy for Tony? Making sure his Little Brothers stay out of trouble?" Lance snapped.

"Lance, I said chill out and I mean it!" Keith ordered.

"No, Keith, Sven was a Storm Rider and didn't tell us until Mom and Dad came out of the closet!"

Before Keith could answer, Sven balled up his fist and punched Lance in the stomach. Keith stepped in between the pair. Sven's second punch landed square on Keith's jaw. Sven backed off in horror. "Keith, I'm sorry…"

Keith spat out blood. "Forget about it. Lance, Sven, both of you chill out. Lance, don't talk about Tony like that. He's bled for our sorry asses more than a few times. Sven, punching Lance was uncalled for."

"Keith's right. Tony wouldn't want us fighting amongst ourselves," Pidge spoke up.

"Besides, we have a mission," Hunk added.

Lance looked down. "I'm sorry, Sven, Keith. I forgot."

"Forget about it, Lance," Keith rubbed his sore jaw.

Sven shook out his hand. "That punch shouldn't have hurt my hand, but it looks like your bones are already denser."

"Denser?" Keith asked. "What do you mean?"

"Didn't Dr. Tea tell you? The medication they give you when you have a cybernetic implant put in causes your muscles and bones to become denser," Sven explained.

"How do you know this?" Lance asked, curious.

Sven sighed. "After Hagar's attack on me, my heart and eyes were damaged beyond repair," He said quietly. "I was still recovering from the surgery when Zarkon attacked Planet Ebb. Dr. Tea barely escaped the attack. He left after doing my surgery to tend to victims of an earthquake on Planet Xorrinne."

"Sven, I'm sorry we didn't rescue you from Planet Doom, but we didn't even know about the attack on Planet Ebb," Keith apologized.

"That's okay. I suspect Tony kept you from hearing about it. I heard the Storm Riders conducted several raids trying to find me, but I was in the tunnels by that point. If I had been rescued, I wouldn't have been there to help Romelle," Sven said.

"Why would Tony do that?" Allura asked. "We could have helped the people there."

"He had his reasons," Sven said. "I can't go into them though. It's up to Tony to tell."

"I guess I'm going to have a talk with my Big Brother," Keith shook his head. "Should be interesting."

"You'll be riveted," Sven said.

"So, how did you become a Storm Rider, Sven?" Keith asked.


	12. Chapter 12

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: M **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

"Tony and Gio trained me on weekends and after classes. This was before I met you. I stayed in the Academy, masquerading as a normal cadet. No one knew I was a Storm Rider. Then, after graduation, I went on missions then I was assigned to the Voltron Force. Graham never knew that there was an SR on the team," Sven explained.

"But you, Lance, and I shared a lot of missions," Keith pointed out. "Almost every mission from Mars onward."

"Please don't mention Mars," Lance winced. "It took me weeks to scrub the sand and dust out of my ass after we got back to Earth."

"The Mars wasn't a fun posting," Sven agreed.

"Sven, why where you on almost all the same missions as Lance and I?" Keith asked. "Were you protecting one of us?"

Sven sighed. He'd forgotten how persistent Keith could be. "My orders were to protect you, Keith."

"Why, Sven?" Keith asked.

"I can't tell you that. You'll have to ask Tony."

"I will," Keith promised.

The group walked in silence until they got to three-way split in the tunnel. "Which way do we go?" Pidge asked.

Keith consulted the map. "Straight ahead. These side tunnels lead to spare bedroom/bathroom on the right and a kitchen on the left."

The group continued straight until they reached a large, ornate door. "Large, funny looking door with the Royal Seal. This has gotta be it," Lance said. "But how do you open it?" Keith shrugged and put his hand on the door. Something clicked inside the door and it opened. "That works," Lance grinned.

Before Keith could answer, King Alfor's voice echoed through the tunnel. "^Keith, what is in this room is now yours. Use it wisely.^"

"Whoa, you get a laboratory?" Pidge exclaimed.

"It's not fair, you're not scientifically minded, Keith," Hunk pointed out.

"What, are you saying, you and Pidge want it?" Keith laughed. "I won't stop you two from using it."

"Thanks, Chief," Hunk ran into the room with Pidge not far behind him.

"We're looking for notes," Allura reminded her two friends.

"Right," Lance agreed. He looked over at a contraption that was obviously hand-built. "I wonder what this switch does?" He put his finger on the aforementioned switch.

"Lance, no!" Keith yelled and grabbed his best friend just as electricity surged through Lance. Keith shouted out in pain as the electricity slammed into body.

Hunk ran to the small supply closet and pulled out an ancient broom. He used the broom handle to turn off the switch. Lance and Keith fell to the ground. "Wael!" Keith spat out in Drul. "Iblith!" He exclaimed when electricity shot out of his hand.

"There's no need to be so foul mouthed, Keith," Sven shook his head.

"When did you learn Drul?" Allura asked.

"I picked up a few words when we were held captive there," Keith admitted.

"Can you teach them to me?" Allura asked.

Keith shook his head. "No way. Nanny would have my hide nailed to the wall if she caught you speaking Drul."

"Yeah, and you already got your mouth washed out with soap once," Pidge snickered. Allura blushed.

"When did you get your mouth washed out with soap?" Keith asked, confused.

"You were still in a coma," Lance said. "And, Lotor contacted us. The Princess told Lotor to "F Off" after insulting him. You'd be proud of her, Keith, she did a good job."

"Lance!" Allura snapped. Keith chuckled. Allura turned towards him. "It's not funny, Keith!"

"It is funny," Keith insisted. "Nanny wants you to be a prim and proper Princess…"

"And you boys are corrupting me, at least according to Nanny."

Lance swaggered over to Allura and put his arm around her. "We're just doin' our jobs, Ma'am," He put on a phony western accent. The rest of the team laughed at Lance.

"Come, team, let's get looking," Keith said, still sitting on the ground. Sven offered him a hand to help him stand. When the two made contact, the energy stored in Keith's spine surged forth into Sven and looped around back into Keith and then back into Sven.

"D-d-d-dam-m-m-m-i-i-t-t!" Keith swore as he tried to pull away from Sven.

Hunk came to the rescue again with his trusty broom stick. He broke the contact between the two men and both fell back to the ground. "What the hell happened?" Lance demanded.

"Turns out, Keith's spine has stored the energy. And since Sven has cybernetic implants also, they created a circuit," Pidge explained. "Almost like a battery."

"Well, how do we get rid of this energy, Pidge?" Keith asked the youngest member of the team.

Pidge dug through a box on the old desk he sat at and pulled out two quartz crystals. "Hold on to these," He said, giving Keith and Sven each a crystal. The two men held onto the crystals, which glowed softly as they absorbed the energy. "There, should be safe now," Pidge said. "Keith, touch Sven."

"I hope you're right, Pidge," Keith sighed and put his hand on Sven's arm. Nothing happened. Everyone relaxed. "Okay, let's get back to looking. Lance, don't touch anything."

"Gee, get electrocuted once and they won't trust you!" Lance grumbled.

Four hours later, the team was nowhere closer to finding the solution to Keith's problem. They found several tablets filled with notes and drawings. "I can't make heads or tails of this stuff," Keith said, putting his tablet down in disgust. "Hunk, Pidge?"

"We're working on it, Chief," Hunk said, not looking up from his note book.

"Did you find something?"

"Drawings and first designs of the Lions," Pidge spoke up. "And, notes on their energy sources."

"And more random lines, like before," Hunk added.

"Oh great!" Keith kicked at a loose rock on the floor. It soared through the air and passed through a shimmering form.

"^That's very rude of you, Keith,^" said a powerfully built spirit dressed in woodland cammo as it appeared in the room.

The Voltron Force jumped back in shock. Keith's eyes widened. He had heard that voice before. "You're Prince Abraxis!" He exclaimed.

"^Correct, Keith,^" Abraxis said, bowing. "^However, I prefer my military title. You may call me Colonel Volronos.^" He looked over Keith. "^You call yourself a warrior yet you cry over your fate!^" Colonel Volronos snorted. "^Well, Little Warrior, what will you do to avoid your fate? Will you fight me?^"

"No way, Keith, you can't fight him, he's bigger than Tony!" Lance exclaimed. "Besides, he's a spirit and you're alive!"

"Lance does have a point, Colonel, how can we fight?"

"^I will take you into the Next World that lies between this World and the Spirit World. There I will be alive and we'll fight, if you're brave enough to take me on.^"

Keith did not hesitate. He turned to Lance. "If I fall, I want to be buried on Earth, next to my parents," He said quietly.

Lance nodded. "Done."

"I'm ready," Keith stepped forward. "Take me to the Next World."

Using his massive hands, Abraxis ripped open the stone wall of the lab. "^Follow me, Little Warrior.^"

As Keith stepped through the opening, his eyes blurred. When his vision cleared, he saw that he was in a woodland meadow. A very familiar voice said "^Are you ready, Little Warrior?^"

Keith spun around and saw that instead of Volronos, he was facing King Zarkon! "Son of a bitch!" Keith swore. "I won't let you kill me!" He screamed and grabbed a fallen branch. He ran towards Zarkon and struck. Zarkon brought up his arms and blocked the blow.

"^Little Warrior, what is wrong with you?^" Demanded Zarkon.

Keith kicked Zarkon in the groin then punched him in the stomach. Zarkon picked him up and threw him into a tree.

Abraxis Volronos looked on in amazement as Keith pulled himself to his feet, glaring at him. "^Little Warrior, snap out of it!^" Abraxis grabbed Keith and shook him until Keith's teeth rattled. Keith struggled in the powerful grip. Abraxis looked at Keith's eyes and swore. "^Little Warrior, how long have you had this spell on you?^"

"I don't know what you are talking about, Zarkon!" Keith tried to jerk free.

Abraxis slapped Keith across the face in an effort to snap him out of his rage. Keith blinked. In the struggle, Keith had ripped Abraxis' tee shirt and out had tumbled a simple, golden cross on a gold chain. Keith stared at the cross. Abraxis noticed that stare. "^Yes, Keith, I wear a cross.^"

"Z…z…z…ar…k…kon c..can't w…wear a cr…cro..ss," Keith managed to stammer.

"^Right, Little Warrior. You have a powerful spell on you. I'm not a Mystic like my cousin, but in the Near World the power of prayer is greater than it is anywhere else,^" Abraxis said and forced Keith to kneel in front of him. Keith trembled. Abraxis placed his hands on Keith's shoulders. In a tongue similar to Gaelic, Abraxis called out "^God, break the curse on this honorable Warrior! We are now bound by common mission to stand against a ancient foe, on that day of battle let I and my brother put into oblivion the ancient evil from whence it came never again to haunt that which is pure, free, just, and true.^"

Suddenly, from the massive oak tree behind Keith an icy, golden liquid burst forth and drenched Keith. Keith shook and screamed. Abraxis took out a small, plain cup carved from alabaster from a pouch on his waist and filled it with the golden elixir. Abraxis forced Keith's head back and poured the liquid down the Captain's throat. Keith vomited up a thick, black fluid. Keith coughed and gagged and Abraxis feared Keith would throw up again. Instead, Keith's head flopped forward. His breathing was heavy.

"^Feel better, Little Warrior?^" Abraxis asked, concerned.

"What was that?" Keith shook his long hair.

"^That's the spell that was inside you. Tell me, Little Warrior, have you spent time on Planet Doom?^"

"We were prisoners on Doom for a few days," Keith answered.

"^Did you consume anything during your stay?^"

Keith nodded his head. "Some soldiers smuggled food to us."

"^That food was contaminated with that spell. When you crossed over into the Next World, it became active, making you see your greatest fear,^" Abraxis explained. "^You saw Zarkon trying to kill you, yet you fought back instead of cowering in terror, which is what Hagar hoped you'd do. You did well, Little Warrior.^"

Keith blushed and looked down. "I couldn't beat you, though."

"^Did you expect to defeat me, Little Warrior?^" Abraxis roared with laughter.

"Isn't that what I had to do to get my soul back?"

"^No, Little Warrior, all you had to do was fight me. Which you did admirably. I never expected you to win against me. I was testing your courage. You earned your soul back, Little Warrior.^" A red spark floated in the air. "^Take back what is yours, Little Warrior.^" The spark flew into Keith's chest and settled into his heart.

"What about the rest of my team? They still have this spell in them!" Keith exclaimed.

"^Use this Cup,^" Abraxis handed the alabaster cup to Keith. "^Just pray for healing and the cup will fill with the same solution that forced the spell from you.^"

"Thank you, Colonel," Keith took the cup gratefully. He put the cup back into its pouch and hung it off his belt. "I'll return it to you after my team is cured."

Abraxis waved off the offer. "^Keep it. You're now the guardian of the Cup.^"

"Okay," Keith said. "Colonel, may I ask you a question?"

"^About what, Little Warrior?^"

"When you prayed, you said we had a common mission. What were you talking about?"

"^Haven't you read through my cousin's journals?^"

"We're working on it. He's got over fifty journals. Not to mention what we found in his lab. It's taking a while," Keith blushed. "King Alfor was…wordy."

Abraxis laughed. "^Yes, my cousin was known for being hypergraphic. I'll save you the looking. You and I are bound for a special destiny. We're facing a fight against someone more evil than Zarkon or your Space Marshall. But that fight won't happen for a long time. You have time to prepare for your fight,^" He said.

"Good because I don't want to leave Allura," Keith said quietly.

"^Don't worry, Little Warrior, you won't leave your child bride for a long time.^"

"Don't call Allura a child bride! She's not a child!" Keith snapped.

"^Don't raise your voice at me, Little Warrior. And, my little cousin is a child. She still has an innocence about her that Zarkon was unable to crush.^"

"Still, I'd rather you didn't call her a child bride. It makes me feel like I'm a pedophile," Keith said in a reasonable tone.

Abraxis snorted with laughter. "^Fair enough, Little Warrior.^"

"I'd better get back before any of the team decides to come after me. I'll see you in the Black Lion, Colonel," Keith stood up.

"^Very well, Keith. Good bye and good luck. You are a true Warrior and will be a good King of Arus,^" Abraxis gripped both of Keith's arms in a warrior's grasp.

"Thank you, Colonel," Keith bowed. He walked back to the rip and exited the Next World.

"KEITH!" Allura exclaimed and ran to her beloved. She hugged him tightly. "Oh, Keith, we were so worried about you!"

Keith rubbed her back. "I'm fine, more than fine," He said.

"So, Big Brother, did you get your soul back?" Lance asked.

"I did."

"YA-HOO!" Lance jumped up and down. Then he pounded Keith on the back. "Way to go, Big Brother!"

"Hey, Keith, what's that tied to your belt?" Pidge asked, pointing to the pouch.

"It's a Cup from Colonel Volronos. Turns out, we, the Space Explorers, have a nasty but inert spell in us," Keith said, taking the Cup out of the pouch. He lowered his head and prayed. The Cup filled with golden liquid. The group gasped. "Okay, everyone who has a prisoner of Doom tattoo on their arm step forward," Keith ordered.

Lance went first. "I hope this doesn't taste bad," He commented as he took a sip. "Hey, it tastes good!" He exclaimed then gagged. He ran to the large trash can and threw up. Sven, Hunk and Pidge lined up to take their drink from the Cup and each of them joined Lance at the trash can. After he was finished being sick, Lance looked up at Keith. "Keith, couldn't you have warned us that we were going to puke?"

"I could have," Keith agreed. "But, would you have taken the antidote if you knew you'd be sick?"

"Probably not," Lance admitted.

Just then, Keith's communicator chimed. Coran's voice echoed in the room. "*Captain Kogane please report to the Control Room immediately!*"

"*We're on our way, Coran,*" Keith said. "Come on guys, let's go!"

"You noticed how he said Captain Kogane," Sven said worriedly. "Normally, he just calls you Keith or Captain Keith."

"I know," Keith said grimly. The group burst into the Control Room and stopped in front of Coran. "Coran, what's wrong?" Keith demanded.

"I just got this urgent message from General Winnelli. It's in a code that I can not read," Coran handed the message over to Keith.

Keith read the message then swore. "What's does it say?" Lance demanded.

"It says 'Captain Anthony V. Winnelli, fallen status severe injuries leg may need to be amputated, most of the assault team wiped out, Tony in a coma. Graham meddled in operation info leaked, but no proof.' Damn!" Keith crumpled the printed out message. "I'm going to fucking kill Graham!"

"I'm right behind you, Brother," Sven nodded his head.

Keith turned to Coran. "Prepare the fastest shuttle we have, Coran. Sven and I are going to Earth."

"Dr. Tumbletea took that shuttle to rendezvous with the HIGHLANDER," Coran shook his head.

"Then the second fastest," Keith ground his teeth.

"Before either of you start an intergalactic incident," Coran stood in front of the enraged Space Explorers. "Think. You have no proof. If you go and try to kill Graham right now, Graham will look innocent and you two will be the guilty parties. Instead of getting married and becoming Kings of two planets, you two will be in jail for the rest of your lives," He said.

"Coran is right," Allura nodded her head. "Would your Tony want you to just go off with guns blazing like that?"

Keith put his head down. "No," He sighed.

"Why don't you boys go and work off your anger. You'll have a clearer head for it," Charli suggested as she and Caleb came into the Control Room.

Keith smiled weakly. "Good idea, Aunt Charli," He said. "Let's go, guys."

"I'll join you," Caleb said.

"Okay, Dad," Lance said.

A four hours later, Charli and Allura walked into the private work-out room reserved exclusively for the Voltron Force. Hunk was punching the ever living day lights out of a punching bag. Pidge stood on a stool working out with a light bag. Lance and Caleb pounded each other with staffs.

As soon as Allura saw Keith and Sven she gasped. The pair were attacking each other with their swords, Keith using a matched pair of Katanas and Sven, his Storm Rider sabre. Steel crashed against steel as the two men fought. Keith lashed out with a kick to Sven's knee. Sven blocked the kick, grabbing Keith's leg. Keith swung his other leg around and kicked Sven in the head. Sven flew to the ground and rolled up to his feet. He retaliated with a hard kick to Keith's ribs. Keith gasped but was able to block Sven's over head swing.

"Oh my god, they're going to hurt each other!" Allura whispered.

"No, they know what they're doing," Charli shook her head.

Sven pushed his sabre against the crossed Katanas, forcing Keith to bend backwards. Keith lashed out with his foot, aiming not for Sven's groin, but where his leg and hip connected. Sven's leg gave out on him and he fell to one knee. Keith pressed the Katanas on either side of Sven's neck. "You're dead," He commented lightly.

"Look down, Keith," Sven chuckled. Keith looked down and saw Sven's sabre resting against his stomach. "We'd have joined each other in death."

"Touché," Keith helped his friend up and saluted him with the Katanas. Sven returned the gesture.

Allura ran up to Keith and hugged him. "Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah, I do. Thanks," Keith kissed her.

Allura caught the sheen off his blades. "Keith, you didn't have any protective sheaths on your swords."

"Neither did Sven. That's how we work out, Allura. We fight for real. Swords aren't toys you know."

"I know. You didn't pull your kicks either," She watched Sven rub his leg.

"No."

"You pull your punches with me," Allura pointed out.

"You're still learning. I've been studying martial arts since I was little. Same with Sven, Lance, and Hunk," Keith wiped the sweat off his forehead with a towel.

"And Pidge?"

"I started my training at the Academy so I'm not at these guys' levels, but I started doing gymnastics when I was a little kid," Pidge answered.

From Keith's gym bag, his COM beeped. "*Captain Keith, General Winnelli has information for all of you.*"

Keith grabbed COM. "*I read you, Coran. Patch him through to the War Room. We'll all assemble there after we get dressed.*"

"*Understood, Captain.*"

The Space Explorers rushed to the locker room and cleaned up. Then it was a run to their quarters to change into dress uniforms. Allura changed into a proper gown, not her usual pink but a rich blue that matched the Space Explorer's dress uniforms, except for Sven who wore his black Storm Rider's dress uniform. The group gathered in the War Room. The screen at the front of the room flickered to life. General Gabriel Winnelli appeared in the screen.

"AT-TEN HUT!" Keith yelled out. "General on deck!" The Space Explorers, Charli, Caleb, Allura, and Iain snapped to.

General Winnelli nodded his head. "At ease," He said. The group relaxed but remained standing. "Everyone, sit down." The group sat down. "First of all, Captain Winnelli is doing fine. He has his new leg and he's woken up. We have him on bed rest right now."

The group relaxed. "Thank God," Keith murmured. "How is Captain Giovanna Winnelli? Captain Winnelli said she was pregnant."

"She's fine. She did not take part in Operation Phoenix Ascending."

"Good," Sven nodded his head.

Suddenly, General Winnelli paused and turned his head. "He did WHAT? Damn!" The group looked confused at each other.

"Sir, what's wrong?" Keith asked.

"Well, it seems that Captain Winnelli decommissioned the med-droid we had monitoring him and he's back in the command seat of the HIGHLANDER. They're heading towards Arus for Operation Crown Rising."

"Operation Crown Rising? What's that?" Allura demanded.

"Your wedding and coronation, Your Highness," General Winnelli.

"Oh," Allura said. "I wasn't aware that it would be a military operation."

"The security for your wedding is the responsibility and honor of the Storm Riders, Your Highness," General Winnelli said.

"Thank you, General," Allura nodded her head.

"Will you be there, General?" Keith asked.

"Yes. My wife and I are leaving tomorrow. Oh, Captain, Princess, I know Tony suggested that Graham's invitation get lost in the mail. I'm suggesting that he never even get one made out."

Keith nodded his head. "How big is your file on him?"

"Big and getting bigger every day," General Winnelli said. "So, will the invitation get lost?"

Keith looked at Allura who nodded her head. "What invitation for Graham? He's not invited to our wedding," He answered for himself and Allura.

"Good. Well, I will see you all in two weeks. I am looking forward to this wedding."

"It will be good to see you, Uncle Gabe and Aunt Anna too," Keith said, dropping the formality.

"And, it will be good to see you too, my boy," General Winnelli paused. "Keith, Tony has that look in his eyes again. Remember after the incident at the police station?"

"I do," Keith closed his eyes in pain.

"Remember how he helped to bury all his buddies and didn't shed a tear?"

"Yeah."

"He buried all of his assault team and didn't cry once."

"Damn."

"He needs you, Keith, even if he won't admit it."

"I'll be there for him, General, I promise."

"Good." General Winnelli stood up and the group stood up. He saluted them and the group saluted back. "See you in two weeks."

"Yes, sir," Keith said. The screen went black.

"Keith, I have a list of the KIA from General Winnelli," Coran said, walking into the room. Coran handed the list to Keith who scanned it. He knew most of the names listed. He got to one name and groaned softly and sat back down.

"Keith, what's wrong?" Lance asked.

Keith looked up with tears in his eyes. "Johnny Watson died."

"Oh, Keith, I'm so sorry," Lance sat next to his brother. "I know you and Johnny were tight." Lance put an arm around Keith. Allura rubbed Keith's back.

"Yeah. He…he always wanted me to be a medic like him. He said I had the makings of a great combat medic in me," Keith scrubbed his eyes. He looked up at Sven. Sven's dark eyes were wet with unshed tears. "Oh, God, Sven, I'm so sorry, you knew all of them, didn't you?"

"I did," Sven managed to choke out. Keith stood up and hugged his friend. Lance, Hunk and Pidge surrounded Keith and Sven.

"Graham will pay for this, I swear," Keith vowed.

"I know," Sven agreed.

"You heard what General Winnelli said, Keith, Sven," Hunk said. "They're keeping a file on Graham. He'll get his, don't worry."

"You're right, Hunk, but it's driving me nuts. I mean, he tried to take Lance and me from our parents…"

"You were the one he wanted, Keith."

"I know," Keith started to pace. "Tony told me years ago when I was 13."

"You never told me," Lance pointed out.

"Tony asked me not to say anything. The less people that knew about it the better," Keith said quietly.

"Did he tell you after you started disappearing from the dorms?" Lance asked.

Keith nodded. "Yeah."

"Disappearing from the dorms? Why did you do that?" Allura asked.

"I wasn't sleeping well at night. So, I would visit my parents' graves. They're buried on Talos Island. I guess the guard outted me to Tony."

"It was me, Keith," Sven said. "It was shortly after I became you and Lance's roommate for a while…"

***********

Sven Holgersson sat up as he heard the door to the dorm room swish shut. He looked over at the bunk beds that held his room mates and did a quick check. The bottom bunk was empty. He sighed and pulled on his uniform. He slipped out of the room and saw Keith's smaller, dark form scampering down the hallway. Quietly, Sven followed him.

Keith left the dorms and walked down the road towards the cemetery. Sven watched as a guard saluted Keith and opened the gates for him. Sven shadowed Keith into the cemetery. Keith stopped at two graves, side by side and sat in the grass, wrapping a dark blanket around him.

"Hello, Mamma-San, hello, Pappa-San," Keith whispered to the graves. Sven shook his head and dialed a number into his COM.


	13. Chapter 13

**Title: "Wake Me Up When September Ends"**

**Author: ** April Richards

**Fandom: **"Voltron: Defender of the Universe"

**Rating: NC-17 **(for language, sexual situations)

**Category: **Keith/Allura, Drama/Angst, Humor, Romance, WAY WAY A/U

**Summary:** After a massive attack by Prince Lotor, Keith faces the traumas of his childhood.

**Author's Notes: ***text between * means internal thoughts*. "*text between "*" means conversation over a phone or communicator or some such device.*" I am "updating" "Voltron" and giving the characters things like mp3 players, CDs, cars, and clubs. I figure a planet and century that has something like Voltron, there's no reason why Princess Allura can't have an iPod. ;) Also the poems/songs "You Fight" and "Midnight Sentinels" were written by me and don't use them with out my permission.

**Disclaimer: Voltron is owned by World Events Productions, ltd. And "Wake me up when September ends", "Jesus of Suburbia", and "American Idiot" are owned and sung by Green Day and are on their "American Idiot" CD. I am using both with out their permission and I am making no money off this. Thank you very much.**

**~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~**

Student Instructor Tony Winnelli slept peacefully next to his fiancée until his COM went off. He sat up and grabbed it. "*Winnelli,*" He said into the COM.

"*Tony, it's me, Sven. Our Little Brother is sleeping with his parents,*" Sven whispered into the COM as not to disturb the now-sleeping Keith.

"*I read you, Quiet,*" Tony said, using Sven's Storm Rider call sign. "*Keep an eye on him until I get there.*"

"*I will. Sven out.*"

Tony jumped out of bed, wearing nothing but the moonlight that streamed into his room. Gio sat up. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Keith's in the cemetery," Tony said, pulling on a pair of jeans and a sweat shirt against the early winter chill.

"What the hell is he doing there?" Gio demanded.

"Visiting his parents."

Tony ran to the hover jeep he owned and jumped in. He drove to the cemetery and parked in front of the gates. The guard let him and Sven in. Tony hurried over to the Kogane graves and bowed before them. Then, he picked up Keith and wrapped him tighter in the blanket.

"Get the emergency blanket from my jeep. He's almost hypothermic," Tony ordered Sven.

"Yes, Tony," Sven saluted and ran back to the Jeep. He grabbed the foil-like emergency blanket and ran back to Tony and Keith.

Tony wrapped the blanket around Keith, who murmured in his sleep. "Shh, Little Brother, we'll get you home," Tony whispered softly. "Let's go, Quiet."

The pair carefully made their way back to the Jeep. Sven sat in the back seat with Keith's head on his lap. Tony went to the guard and demanded "How long has Cadet Kogane been pulling this sleeping in the cemetery stunt?"

"For a few months at least. I didn't see the harm in it. Poor kid," The guard shook his head. "Loosing his parents like that. Sometimes if he can't sleep, even with his parents, I let him sit watch with me."

"Next time, if he comes here, COM me and let me know. I'll come and get him," Tony handed over a slip of paper with his name and COM number on it.

The guard saluted. "I will, Student Instructor Winnelli."

"Thank you." Tony marched back to the Jeep. He got into the front seat and drove back to his recently remodeled house.

He carried Keith inside and went into a smart apartment off the living room. Gio had already pulled the covers down on one bed. Tony laid Keith on the bed and unwrapped the blankets around him. Gio tucked Keith in and ruffled his short, black hair.

"I'd better get back to my room. Lance will freak if he wakes up alone. I'll tell him that Keith's staying with you," Sven said with a yawn. "Will you talk to Keith in the morning then?"

"Yes, I will," Tony said. "Okay, Quiet, sleep well."

"I will," Sven said and left the house.

***********

"What did Tony talk to you about, Keith?" Allura asked.

"Well, he waited until I woke up on my own, which was much later than the normal 04:30…"

***********

Keith woke up and looked around. The room he was in was painted white instead of the stone gray of his dorm room. "Where am I?" He wondered. He pushed the red blankets down and got out of bed. He padded over to the door and opened it. "How did I get here?" He asked as he walked into the living room. A rich smell caught his nose, leading him towards the kitchen. On the table, on a covered dish, was breakfast: fluffy pancakes and turkey sausage with bits of dried fruit in them. Next to the covered dish sat a bowl of fruit salad. Keith picked up a note that was taped to the covered dish.

"'Little Brother, here's your breakfast. You've been excused from your classes today. You are to stay in the house until I give you permission to leave. You and I will talk as soon as I get back from class. Love, Tony. P.S. There is an Eddie Izzard marathon on Comedy Central starting at noon.'" Keith read from the note. "Great. I'm in trouble, I know it," He sighed. He sat down and ate his breakfast.

After eating, Keith showered and changed into clothes that were laid out for him: Jeans and a red sweat shirt with the San Francisco sky-line on it. He settled into the massive recliner that was Tony's personal chair and clicked on the TV.

"'You! Cake or death?'" Izzard demanded from the TV. Keith howled with laughter.

Three hours later, Tony walked into his house and heard Keith's hilarity. He smiled. "Hello, Little Brother," Tony called out. Keith jumped and winced.

"Hi, Tony," Keith said, rubbing his back. "You startled me."

"I'm sorry," Tony said with a frown. A familiar pain crossed his heart as he watched his Little Brother move with pain. "Keith, sit back down. We need to talk."

"I know," Keith looked down.

"Little Brother, why do you go to the cemetery like that?" Tony demanded.

"I don't feel safe in the dorms. I haven't felt safe at all."

"Since when? When did this start?"

"Since I started at the Academy, but it's getting worse," Keith admitted.

"Has something changed to make it worse?" Tony asked, concerned.

"I don't know. I feel like I'm being spied on or something when I'm in the dorms," Keith said.

"Even after you changed rooms so you could room with Sven?"

"Yeah. I feel safe with Mom and Dad."

"Keith, you can't sleep in the cemetery. What if the MPs had found you? You would have been turned over to Graham. And, he's been looking for any excuse to take you away from your family."

"Why would Graham want me?" Keith asked his black eyes wide with fear.

"He wants you for a weapon. A weapon to be used against your family. He tried to take you from your parents before they died on a "what if". I can't tell you more than that, Little Brother," Tony knelt down in front of Keith.

"Why me? I'm nothing special," Keith shook his head. "Is that why he came to mine and Lance's sixth birthday party?"

"Yes, Little Brother, it was."

Keith pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. "But why me?" He repeated softly.

"You're something special, Keith. Don't let it go to your head, Keith, but you are. I'll explain more when you're older," Tony stood up. "So do you like the little apartment you slept in?"

"Yeah it's nice," Keith said. "I slept really well there."

"How would you like to move into it for the rest of your time at the Academy?" Tony offered with a twinkle in his dark brown eyes.

"Really?" Keith's eyes widened. "But what about Lance? It wouldn't be right leaving him in the dorms."

"Lance is welcome to stay too. There will be rules you'll have to follow, though. Lance is joining us for dinner. I'll go over the rules then."

"Okay."

Dinner was a large, brown sugar and spice glazed ham, smashed sweet potatoes, a ginger glazed vegetable medley, and for dessert, home made ice cream cake. After everyone was full, Tony directed Keith and Lance to clear the table while Gio divided up the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Once the dishwasher was humming away, everyone sat around the kitchen table again.

"Well, Lance, Keith, if you want the apartment there are some rules you have to follow. One is don't brag about having your own apartment to anyone. That's something Graham would do. Second is you are to keep that room cleaner than you keep your dorm room. Third is curfew is the same as if you were still in the dorms. You still have to get up early for revelry. Fourth, you will help Gio and me out with the chores around here. You are allowed to have friends over for the weekend but you must keep the noise down. Fifth, you two will be attending church with Gio and me. I know you two have been skipping out on it since you started living in the dorms. That's going to change. Any questions?" Tony asked.

"No, Tony," Keith and Lance said together.

"And, will you obey these rules?" Tony asked.

"Yes, Tony," Keith and Lance said together again.

"And rule number six, don't do that talking together thing. It's creepy and you two are not twins."

Lance laughed while Keith blushed. "Sorry, Tony," Keith said for both of them.

*********

"Tony's right, that talking together thing you two do is creepy," Hunk pointed out. "Did you ever figure out what was making you so freaked out by your old dorm room?"

"Yeah. Tony found a bunch of pin-hole cameras embedded in the wall," Keith answered. "With a remote feed back to Graham's computer."

"Why would Graham watch you like that?" Allura asked.

"He's sick," Keith said. Lance, Hunk, Sven and Pidge nodded.

"Excuse me," Coran spoke up. "But, Captain, while I am here, I need to speak with you about arrangements for your funeral."

"What?" Keith looked at Coran. "My funeral? Why? I'm not sick or anything."

"It's tradition. The funeral is planned in advanced, even though I'm hoping that the plans won't be needed for a long time," Coran said calmly.

"Oh, well, I want a military funeral and to be buried on Earth, next to my parents. I even have a space reserved next to them," Keith answered. "It's been mine since I was six-years-old."

"Why on Arus would anyone buy a six-year-old a grave plot?" Coran asked.

Keith looked down at his feet, lost in thought. Lance answered for him. "Because at first, the doctors didn't even know if Keith was gonna survive, much less walk again. So, Mom and Dad had the spot next to Uncle Akira and Auntie Mey reserved for Keith. Just in case."

"Oh dear," Coran said. "Tradition dictates that you be buried in the Royal Crypt after lying in state for three days."

"No, Coran, I'm going to be buried on Earth," Keith shook his head. "It's my right as a citizen of the USA to be buried on my home soil."

"You are also going to be King of Arus, Captain," Coran stated. "You have an obligation to the people of Arus."

"My obligation ends with my death. I'll give Arus my life, but not my death. I'll be Home with my parents when I die, Coran."

"But, your spirit must be able to guide us, like King Alfor's does," Coran objected.

"Coran, I'm not a Mystic like Alfor was. I'm a soldier. I'll do my duty, but I want to be buried on Earth next to my parents."

"But, the people will still look to you for guidance."

"Coran, I doubt my spirit would be able to leave Heaven once it gets there. I'm not mystically trained at all," Keith pointed out. The Voltron Force, except for Iain, nodded.

Lance glared at the newest member of the Force. "Stand with your Captain," Lance growled softly, sounding much like Tony in that moment. Iain blushed.

"What about me, Keith?" Allura said. "We won't be able to be buried together if you're buried on Earth."

"You can be buried on Earth too. Right next to me, as my wife, that's your right."

"Hold it right there!" Coran scolded. "Princess Allura will be buried on Arus, as will you be, Captain Kogane."

"Wrong, Coran, I'll be buried on Earth, next to my parents on Talos Island. And, Allura will be next to me," Keith crossed his arms and glared at Coran. Coran returned the stare. Keith refused to look away first.

"The people won't like it and they might not accept you as King if you are refusing burial on Arus," Coran pointed out.

"The people don't have to know!" Keith snapped. His black eyes sparked with anger.

Charli stepped in between the two men before a fight could break out. "Look, we're all upset right now. Why don't you two discuss things when you're both calmer? I'm sure there's a compromise possible somewhere."

"Yes, Aunt Charli," Keith sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Now, you and Allura have a wedding to plan," Charli said. "So if I was you, I'd start doing it."

"Yes, Aunt Charli."

"That's a good idea, Keith. Let's do it in my room. It's bigger. And Coran, can you please start the preparations to move Keith into the Royal Apartment?"

"Of course, Your Highness. Will you be joining him before the wedding?"

"I will. We'll be careful, Coran," Allura promised.

Coran sighed. "Very well. I'll inform the staff to start moving things."

"Thank you, Coran," Allura smiled at her advisor. "Love?"

"I'm right with you, Allura," Keith kissed her.

In her room, Allura and Keith sat at a small table by the window. In front of them lay a list of people. "Don Macro Colonna, Jin Takana and Chen Sun-Li definitely for my invitations. And, Ryu Takana too."

"Is Ryu related to Jin?" Allura asked.

"Yeah, they're twin brothers," Keith answered. "I don't know if Don Colonna can come. He's getting on in years and it's a two week journey to Arus. I hope he can come though."

"Who else are you inviting?"

"The entire Voltron Vehicle Force. Uncle Bean, Uncle Tommy, Nana Bessie, the Storm Riders and their families. Especially Johnny Watson's family," Keith wrote down the names. "Oh and I can't forget Grandma Terrie."

"Who?"

"She was the neighborhood grandmother. She moved to our neighborhood after her husband died. They had no kids, so she adopted, unofficially, all the children in my old neighborhood. On Halloween, her house was the last we'd go to Trick or Treating because she had a candy and fruit exchange program at her house. Trade in those dinky little "fun size" candy bars for the king sized version. Get rid of any fruit that was given to you. Heck, she'd even exchange money for us. Like if you got a quarter, she'd take it and give you a dollar. Her husband had been an oilman and he was pretty rich, so she could afford it. If you had any food allergies, she'd make up a special bag of treats just for you. Little girls would come to her house for tea parties. Dress up tea parties. In fact the boys were invited too. You had to wear a suit and act like a gentleman. She taught us all sorts of manners. Lance and I would go to the tea parties even after we became Cadets. We'd wear our cadet dress whites."

"Oh, I love tea parties. I haven't had one since my mother died," Allura said.

"Maybe you can have before the wedding?" Keith suggested. "Grandma Terrie would love to have tea with the future Queen of Arus."

"I'll issue her an invitation for one. I'd rather have a tea party than a bridal shower anyways. It'll be fun!" Allura exclaimed.

"Good," Keith grinned at his fiancée.

That night, Keith slept for the first time in the Royal Apartment that was once the home of King Alfor and his Queen, Kerreigh. In his arms, rested Allura. Keith murmured in his sleep as a familiar nightmare started up again...

Keith battled against King Zarkon, his father's twin katanas clashing against Zarkon's massive sword. Keith was covered in small cuts, poison that dripped from the evil space tyrant's blade coursed through his body.

"I won't let you win!" Keith panted as he lunged at Zarkon.

"You can't defeat me, Ghost! You're a dead man!" Zarkon promised and stabbed Keith through the heart...

Keith woke up, his heart pounding, sweat beading down his face. "Oh, God," He whispered. "Why do I keep dreaming that?" Allura murmured in her sleep. Keith kissed her head then fell back asleep.

The next morning dawned frosty and clear. Keith opened his dark eyes and yawned. He looked around, taking in the elaborate decor of the room. It was okay, he guessed, but he knew that he and Allura would redecorate the Apartment to match their tastes. From the table came the buzz of his wrist COM. He reached around Allura and grabbed it. "*Kogane here,*" He said into the COM.

"*Captain, the HIGHLANDER just radioed Castle Control. It will be landing at King Alfor AFB by noon, our time,*" Coran said.

"*Great, Coran, thank you," Keith said into his COM. "*Kogane out.*"

Allura sat up and yawned. "You look happy, Love," She smiled at him.

"Tony's gonna be here around noon, our time," Keith said and hugged her tightly.

"Well, I'd better have Cookie prepare a special meal for him and his wife," Allura said. "And find a nice apartment in the Castle for them. Did they bring their children with them?" She asked.

"I don't know, Coran didn't mention them," Keith answered. "Let's get cleaned up so we can be at the base. I'd better COM the rest of the team."

"I'll be waiting for you in the shower," Allura smiled suggestively.

Keith raised an eyebrow. "I'll COM quickly."

[King Alfor AFB, 12:00]

"Look!" Keith pointed to the gathered Voltron Force. A massive black ship filled the sky. At three miles long, the HIGHLANDER was one of the biggest ships in space. It set down with a mighty thump. Behind it came smaller but still impressive ships. A ramp came down and the Storm Riders filed out. Framed in the doorway stood a tall man with massive shoulders dressed in the black fatigues of the Storm Riders.

A tiny hand tugged on Keith's red pant leg. Keith looked down to find two small children, a boy and a girl, looking up at him expectantly. "May I help you?"

"Captain Keith, whose dat's?" The little girl asked, pointing towards the dark figure.

"That's a hero," Keith said, smiling.

"But youse a hero," The little boy said.

"Yes I am, but that's my Big Brother," Keith smiled.

"Wow," The little boy said as the figure got closer. "He is big."

Keith stood up and saluted Tony. "Welcome to Arus, Captain Winnelli."

Tony Winnelli returned the salute then pulled Keith into a big bear hug. "Judas Priest, it's good to see you again, Keith!" He said. "Oh for Pete's sake, why are you wearing that NASCAR outfit? Doesn't Allura dress you properly?"

"It's comfortable and warm," Keith defended his choice of outfit. "And it's chilly out today."

"Then wear your uniform," Tony snickered. "So are you going to introduce me to your fiancee?"

"Come on, Allura," Keith turned back to Allura and urged her forward. Shyly, Allura walked up to Tony. "Allura, this is Captain Anthony Vincent Winnelli. Tony, this is my fiancee, Crown Princess Allura Kerreigh Dilayas," Keith made the introductions.

Tony bowed over Allura's small hand. "Greetings, Your Majesty. Myself and the Storm Riders are at your service."

"Thank you, Captain Winnelli. Please, call me Allura."

"Then please call me Tony," Tony said. He reached over and ruffled Keith's long hair. Keith scowled and straightened his hair. "Well, Little Brother, you did pretty well for yourself. Good to see you walking again. You didn't give Dr. Tea too much trouble did you?"

"No, I didn't give our good uncle any trouble," Keith said.

Allura burst into laughter. Tony looked over at her. "He got stubborn about going back to the Infirmary after getting a concussion."

"Keith..." Tony shook his head.

Keith looked down, blushing. "I'm sorry, Tony," He said. Just then, Coran rushed to the gate. Two Storm Rider sentries blocked his way. "Let him through," Keith called out. The sentries saluted Keith then unbarred Coran's way.

"Captain Keith, this is highly irregular!" Coran fussed. "I knew your brother was coming, but I did not know that he'd block out the sun with his ships! We've been getting reports of UFOs since the Storm Riders entered our atmosphere!"

Keith raised an eyebrow. "What do you want me to do? Send them home with a thanks but no thanks?" He demanded of the Minister of Affairs.

Coran blushed. "You're right, Captain Keith, of course," Coran turned towards Tony who was joined by his very pregnant wife, Gio. "Welcome to Arus, Captains. On behalf of our future King and Queen, I welcome you to our planet."

"Thank you, Minister Coran," Tony nodded his head.

"Coran, is the master suite ready for Tony and Gio?" Keith asked.

"Yes, sir, it is."

"Master Suite? Isn't that where you sleep Keith?" Gio asked.

"No. I'm in the Royal Apartment now," Keith shook his head. "The Master Suite is the best guest apartment in the castle and has the biggest bed next to the bed in the Royal Apartment."

"Thank you, Little Brother," Tony ruffled Keith's hair again. Keith scowled and straightened his hair. Allura giggled. "Oh you know you like it," Tony grinned. A Sgt. slipped a black folder to Tony. He quietly handed it to Keith. Keith stuck it under his arm, but did not open it. Allura looked at him, curious. "Gio, sweetie, why don't you go to the castle with Allura. I need to talk with Keith..." Tony turned around and bellowed "I SAID THAT GOES ON THE SHORT BED TRUCK!" He turned towards Keith and Allura. "I'm sorry about that guys."

"That's okay, Tony," Keith said. Allura uncovered her ears, looking shocked.

"Let's go onto the ship, Keith. We don't have this base cloaked yet."

"Cloaked?" Allura repeated, confused.

"Correct, Allura. Pretty soon this base will be invisible to all means of detection and be able to fire their weapons while cloaked too," Tony explained.

"Allura, let's go back to the castle," Gio suggested. "These two are heavy," She patted her bulging stomach.

"Of course, Gio," Allura smiled. "I can't wait until Keith and I have our first baby," She said as the women walked off.

A large flat bed hover-truck rumbled past Keith and Tony. As soon as it was past them, the two brothers walked into the HIGHLANDER. Silently, the pair strolled towards the HIGHLANDER's war room. Once the door swished closed, Keith sat down and unlocked the code on the black file. He scanned through it and let out a low whistle. "Quite a job that Uncle Gabe has given you, Tony," Keith commented. He snickered. "Lance isn't going to be happy."

"Lance can get bent," Tony said. "Do you have any problems with me being put in charge of all the military on Arus? Not just for the wedding, but for the indeterminable future as we retrain and rebuild the planet."

"No, I don't," Keith answered honestly. He read more of the file. "So the civilians will be conscripted to help in the rebuild of the planet? Good. We, that is the Voltron Force, have tried to help in the rebuilding of the planet, but it's been hard. It seems that we just get something built then Zarkon or Lotor trashes it."

"Hopefully, with the Storm Riders here that will change," Tony promised carefully.

Keith leafed through some more of the file. "So, when will the retraining of the Voltron Force happen?"

"As soon as I can get everything set up. Before your wedding, definitely. In fact, we need to go over the security arrangements for the wedding," Tony ran his hands through his short, dark hair. "That is, I'll need the entire Voltron Force to help me with. Except for you, Little Brother. Your only job that day is to get married and be crowned King."

"You'll get, even if I have to twist Lance's arm into it," Keith said. "I wish I could help more, Tony."

"Keith, you have a lot of learning to do, a lot of preparations that you need to go through in time for the wedding. Don't worry about security. If Scrotor," Tony used his special name for Lotor. "Shows up, I'll take care of him."

"I'm know you will, Big Brother," Keith said, still reading through the file.

"Do you have any questions, Keith?" Tony asked.

"No," Keith shook his head then paused. The nightmare from last night flooded his mind.

Tony noticed Keith's normally tanned skin paled. He grabbed Keith's shoulders. "Keith, are you alright?" He demanded.

Keith swallowed. "I...I'm okay..." He shook his long black hair.

"Keith..." Tony knelt down so that he was at eye-level with Keith. "Tell me what's wrong."

"A nightmare," Keith said. "I've always had it. Ever since I could remember, Zarkon, only when i was little I didn't it was him, I called him the big blue fish man, is attacking me. We're fighting. He says "You're a dead man, Ghost!" then stabs me in the heart. I wake up after I die."

Tony frowned. "He called you Ghost?"

"Yeah, why would he call me that?" Keith asked his big brother.

Tony sighed. "Your father's Storm Rider call sign was Ghost."

"Ghost," Keith repeated. He got up and paced around the War Room. Tony's dark brown eyes followed Keith around the room.

Suddenly, a strange light filled the War Room. Colonel Volronos appeared in his woodland cammo. Tony instinctively put himself between Keith and the spirit. Keith smiled at Abraxis. Keith stepped out from behind Tony. "Greetings, Colonel."

"^Greetings, Little Warrior,^" Abraxis said. "^Who is this?^"

"Colonel Abraxis Volronos, this is my big brother, Captain Anthony Winnelli," Keith introduced Tony to the spirit.

"^Greetings, Captain Winnelli, brother to the future King of Arus.^"

"Greeting, Colonel Volronos," Tony saluted the spirit. Abraxis returned the salute. "How can we help you?"

"^It is how I can help you, Captain. More specifically, how I can help you, Little Warrior.^"

"Help me?" Keith repeated, slightly confused.

"^I know you haven't found it in my cousin's journals. The prophecy you are looking for is,^" Here Volronos cleared his throat. "^'When the Lion King stands against the Blue Evil, only one will Stand in the end.'^"

"What in the name of God does that mean?" Keith asked, confused.

"It means that you are to battle King Zarkon right? He's blue and very evil," Tony suggested.

"^Correct, Captain,^" Abraxis nodded.

"And, either Zarkon or I will die that day," Keith whispered.

"^That is true, Little Warrior. As for who will stand and who will fall? It is unknown. I wish I could have been more help to you, Little Warrior...^" Abraxis faded from sight.

Keith continued to pace as Tony watched him worriedly. An idea that had been swirling through Keith's head since he came to Arus finally crystallized.

"What's going through your head, Little Brother?"

Keith spun around and faced Tony. "Tony, I have a request to make of you."

"Ask and ye shall receive," Tony quoted.

Keith took in a deep breath and pleaded "Please, make me into what you are."

Tony's eyes widened. "What do you mean, Keith?"

"Make me into a Storm Rider."  
TBC


End file.
